I'm not sure where Missouri would come down in such a Civil War. There's a history of swinging both ways when it comes to such matters.

So we just made the decision to pull Nate from middle school and enroll him in Florida Virtual school. With the beginning of the school year just over a week away, he had been getting more and more stressed and fretful and it was manifesting in physical symptoms (stomach aches and throwing up) and emotional outbursts-- like bursting into tears when the doctor innocently asked him about school.

I know that school, in general, can be stressful, and I know the public schools as a whole, have got shit issues with budget cuts, but as a trained teacher, it infuriates me no end that the teachers are so willing to throw a kid like Nate to the wolves rather than try to work with us to figure out what's best for him. I know they've got thirty kids they have to shuffle in every hour, but I really hate them trying to make me feel as if my kid's some kind of spoiled brat because he doesn't fit within the comfy, socionormative parameters that would make life easier for them.

So I guess I'm a homeschooling mom again. Now to talk to Abby and see if she wants to do this or not.

That sounds stressful. I hope it goes well. Being a trained teacher has to help. We've been lucky so far with a principal who has been willing to work with us.

There's a history of swinging both ways when it comes to such matters.

I've been trying to come up with something to respond to this properly, but I'm too asleep.

Poor Nate with the stress. Lucky Nate with the mom that is Barb!

(((DJ))) I didn't know about the miscarriage. I'm so sorry.

You have to wonder what you're doing wrong when half of your candidates, who had all seemed really keen on the job, don't turn up for interview at all...

Otherwise, pretty good set of people. Now I need to choose. I always get this part wrong.

Barb - I'm so impressed with parents who homeschool when schools won't include their kids properly. It's terrible that some schools can't be more inclusive of young people who don't fit their standard molds. (I was one of those kids. I eventually ended up in private school. Homeschooling isn't done much here, but I would have preferred it!)

Yay for kicking firsts!

It's schaaaaaaadenfreude . . .

Traditional Marriage and Prop 8 Defender Doug Manchester in Nasty Divorce

Sometimes schadenfreude makes me feel guilty.... Not this time.

I'm at the dealership getting my oil changed before vacation (we leave next Friday), and I just brought wrath down on the damn used car people.

See here, where it clearly says at the top of the goddamn page that the service department moved 300 yards east to the used car facility?

I took that at face value, and went to the used car facility's service department. There was, of course, no one there. So I went inside and asked one of the salesmen if I was in the right place. He got all shirty with me and said no, of course not, that the service department was 300 yards west where it has always been.

I said that they might want to change their Web site, then, and salesman got all snotty, saying, "I seriously doubt that the Web site has the wrong location. Which Web site did you go to?"

"BeechmontToyota.com," I said, "Since my appointment is with Beechmont Toyota."

"Well, let's just look it up," he says.

(I'm in jeans and a t-shirt, no makeup, glasses on, hair pulled back. I probably look like a dumb college student, and a -- gasp -- woman, to boot.)

(Not that that's an excuse for being a dick.)

So he pulled up the Web site, with me standing there, and I told him where I found the incorrect info, and when the page came up, I physically jabbed my finger at his monitor, and said, "Am I reading that wrong? Is this location the used car facility?"

"Yes, but..."

"And is it 300 yards east of the other facility?"

"Yes, but..."

"So, I'm where the Web site TOLD ME TO GO?"

"Yes, but the Web site is wrong."

"I would have no way of knowing that, since I assume that, in the interest of good customer service, Beechmont Toyota would want to provide correct information to its customers."

"Well, that information is wrong, and you need to go next door."

"Great," I say. "I'll do that."

So once I got my car all checked in for the oil changer, I marched my ass over to the manager and (1) told him that the Web site was wrong, and (2) the full name of the jackhole who acted like I was stupid and then like I was a pain in his ass once it was clear that I was right.

The manager was super apologetic and said he'd talk to the used car sales manager about his jackhole of an employee.

Damn, I've owned Toyotas for 16 years or so, and always come to the dealer for service because they never pull shit like trying to sell me unnecessary service or parts just because I'm a woman. I want to continue to patronize them, but not if they act like douchehounds.

But yay on the service manager, who knew exactly which part of the Web site I was talking about, and who is going to bring down fists of fury on the jackhole.

Pfft. Stupid salesman, trying to fuck with me and play I-know-the-Internet-better-than-you. That never works.