The Call of the Streets

Today's Quote:

Circumstances don't make a man,

They reveal him.

I've been talking to my former mother-in-law and thought I would include a poem/song that her son, my late husband, Robert Lee Campbell, Jr. and I collaborated on c. 1993.

The call of the streets

Is begging me

     Come to me

     Walk with me

     Keep me company

I'll take you wherever you want to go

With me you can me free

There are no rules, no deadlines

No responsibilities

     Come to me

     Walk with me

     Keep me company

Alone with your thoughts

You will see

I'll pass no judgments

Just let you be

     Come to me

     Walk with me

The call of the streets

Is begging me

It says I can forget there

The pain life's handed me

Walking in the middle of the road

A broken white line to lead my way

The echo of my bootsteps in my ear

The moon as bright as day

Those old hurts just never seem to go away

No matter how much I drink

The streets keep calling out to me

To walk with them and think

Trip to the Laundry-Mat

Today's Quote:

Everyone said, "Cheer up, things could be worse."

So I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse.

I thought this year was rough until I found this true poem/song written in 1998.

My car got stole, the washer's broke

And the kittens all have fleas

My babysittin' job don't pay enough

Won't someone help me please

     Oh Lord, you tell us to be humble

     I wonder if this is what you had in mind

     To be walking down the street with a stolen shopping cart

     Dirty clothes, soap and bleach, and a pocket full of dimes

So now, I'm sitting at the laundry-mat

Watching all my towels go round and round

I borrowed a pencil from a lady without any teeth

Just so I could write these lyrics down

     Oh Lord, you tell us to be humble

     I wonder if this is what you had in mind

     To avoid all the roaches in the laundry-mat

     With the mothers and their kids who whine

I'm walking down the street now with my clean clothes

Hoping nobody I know will see me

I notice people staring out their windows

Looking like they're feeling sorry for me

    

     Oh Lord, this is as humble as I want to be

     I wonder what my friends will think of me

     When they know I used to work and have a car that ran

     Went to school and got my degree

More about WyzAnt

Today's Quote:

Reality is the leading cause of STRESS.

Recently I discovered the tutoring website WyzAnt.com. I called them tutoring pimps in an earlier blog because they find people who need extra help and match them up with qualified tutors. The company initially keeps 40% of the rate charged but tutors can increase their percentage as they log in more hours. I signed up to be a tutor and they accepted me right away. I think that it will be worth the charge to not have to figure out how to find tutees on my own.

At first I was intimidated because I have been teaching elementary age students and the bulk of requests were for high schoolers in higher math and physics, or for high schoolers looking for someone to help them prepare for their SATs and other college entrance exams. I did not realize there was such a demand for that type of tutoring and think I will look into refreshing my knowledge.

Within a week, requests for tutors for elementary and middle school students began popping up. Parents wanting their child to stay ahead of the curve or wanting extra help for subjects that students are already struggling with now, at the beginning of the school year, are smart to get help with the fundamental knowledge that the rest of the term will build upon.

I am ready, willing, and able to help any elementary or middle school students who are within a 10-15 mile radius of Rancho Cucamonga but so far, what is holding me back is the fact that the parents or grandparents need to set up financial arrangements with WyzAnt first, because the tutors get paid through the service, not by the individuals requesting the service. If you are one of those parents and you are hesitating because of the hourly rate, recognize that the rate is negotiable. I already had to rethink the rate for a woman who asked about group sessions, and am now just hoping that she will agree to the change. I like to teach, I'm excited about this opportunity, and I need the money. I will keep you posted about how the first job goes.

County Logic

Today's Quote:

I'm so broke

I can't even pay attention.

In a previous blog, I mentioned how stress over lack of finances (among other things) caused a reaction that mimicked a heart attack. Because I have not worked for a long while and have no health insurance, I was taken to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, the San Bernardino County health facility. After being reassured that my heart is fine, I was prescribed several medications. The way my meds were distributed at ARMC reminds me of the discrepancy between the number of hot dogs in a package versus the number of hot dog buns in a package. While you get 10 hot dogs, you only get 8 hot dog buns. So what happens if everyone who wants a hot dog also wants a bun? The stop gap measure would be to substitute a piece of bread for a bun, unless of course someone is willing to run and buy another package of buns.

My major medical concern is with the cholesterol lowering medicine that was prescribed for me. The hospital sent me home with a 30 day supply of Simvastatin. I don't mind taking this to help lower my cholesterol the 20 to 50 points needed to be in a healthier range, but I don't really want to take it forever. At a total cholesterol level of 201, do I really even need it? I was told the medicine does not even become effective for 4-6 weeks. I may be able lower my cholesterol myself through diet and exercise! The thing that disturbs me the most is that I have started taking the medication and I have applied for the hospital's MIA program to pay for the pills. However, it takes 45 business days to be approved or denied for the MIA program. I am sure I qualify because of my low income, but what is the stop gap measure for the period between finishing the hospital's 30 day supply and the 20 or so more days without meds before the program approval? Wouldn't it make more sense to supply enough medication for the endurance of time between hospital visit and health program approval? I guess I just don't understand county logic.

Tutoring Pimps

September 1, 2011

Today's Quote:

Falling is the first step to learning how to fly. ~ Jodi Picoult

And just for fun, an inspired Hinky Pinky:

What do you call a movie that is all about an educator? A Teacher Feature

FYI - A Hink Pink is a rhyming word game involving riddles. If the answer to the riddle has 2 one-syllable rhyming words, it is a Hink Pink; a Hinky Pinky is an answer with 2 two-syllable rhyming words; and, a Hinkety Pinkety is an answer to a riddle with 2 three-syllable rhyming words.

~~~~~~

I was inspired to create that riddle above after I applied online for WyzAnt tutoring, teaching and coaching site. Hink Pinks, etc. were always a big hit in the classroom for students of all ages, or at least through the 6th grade. I really like to play word games with students as a way to increase vocabulary, promote problem solving, and just have fun. Students get excited about creating their own riddles.

WyzAnt says that they supply the tutoring students and take a percentage of your earnings as a finders fee, you know, like a pimp. I just went to get the web address and it came up with a long thread of posts bad and good. So now, I'm not sure if this is going to be a good idea or not, but I did do the online application and took one test in my best subject, spelling, which I easily passed. Maybe someone out there has had an experience with this company and can give me a heads up, or maybe you just want to check it out:  http://www.wyzant.com/. I hope it is not a scam. But if it is, and you need a tutor in the Rancho Cucamonga area, you can contact me directly through this blog and we can skip the WyzAnt site completely. I earned an elementary teaching credential in 3 states but I landed in California at the height of teacher lay-offs.

The reason I even got to WyzAnt was because I decided to do my job search at all of the cities within a 10 mile radius of my home. One of the cities led me to a Tutor Wanted post via simplyhired.com. I went through the list and interestingly, there was a list of 12 cities and 1 community. It sure seems like a lot of political divisions in such a small radius. If you are interested in the list, here it is:

     Rancho Cucamonga

     Alta Loma

     Cucamonga

     Upland

     Guasti

     Etiwanda

     Ontario

     Montclair

     Claremont

     Chino

     Fontana

     La Verne

     Pomona

Etiwanda is the place designated as a community. Guasti shows a population of 3. Upland and Claremont have no current openings and Fontana, Montclair, and Chino only have part-time openings. I take that back, some of the cities are looking for a "Lateral Police Officer."Since that is not my field, I did not really check those positions out.

Even though I do not have a library science degree, I am interested in applying at the local libraries next because I LOVE books, learning, research, compiling information, and writing.

No Pimp Needed.