Twelve harried phone calls,
Eleven hours grading,
Ten sleepless nights,
Nine more hours grading,
Eight homemade cookies,
Seven failing grades,
Six thank you e-mails,
Five homework due date extension requests,
Four calling cell phones (during final exams!),
Three requests for reference letters,
Two handwritten thank you cards,
And one job I hate to love 🙂
Photograph Andrew Taylor
Tonight I hold my children a little closer, a little tighter, and I pray for your children. For our children. For all of us.
Looking for a way to help, no matter how small? The Red Cross is a good place to start:
as well as Newtown Youth and Family Services:
http://www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org/donate.php
Photo by © Danil Chepko
Yes, Rockford has a roundabout. Just like all those other cosmopolitan cities: Melbourne, Dublin, London, Calgary, and Clearwater Beach, FL.
Designed to *calm* traffic, the roundabout is supposed to be safer, once you get used to it. And as you can see from the picture, it’s a busy, happening place. Well, no, it’s not. In fact if calm is the goal, I’d say it was long ago achieved.
I pass through the Rockford Roundabout at least twice a week and 50% of the time mine is the only vehicle there. And many of the vehicles I do see, stop. Just stop. Even when there are no other cars. Driver looks at the sign. Driver looks at the road. Driver’s face looks a lot like this…
But then, he takes a breath, and plows on through.
Which is one of the things I like about Rockford. You may have to drag some of the residents kicking and screaming into that “new-fangled circular road thingy”, but they’ll get on board eventually and even support the next one. Bring ’em on…
Coming soon to the Auburn and N. Main intersection. And it will be two lanes this time!
Roundabout photo © Karin Blaski 11/24/12, Scowling boy © Andrew Taylor