Progress report

So, what have I been thinking about lately? More of a Meta list than anything else.

-Been thinking about poverty a lot, and how it perpetuates in a community across generations and in ethnic subgroups.

-School for me has been going really well. Good grades, good learning experiences, working with good people.

-Been spending a chunk of my online time on Facebook. It's been fun to see what some people from high school are up to now.

-I have a new student teaching assignment here in Newberg. It's a way better fit for me and as a bonus, is about 2 min from my house.

-I started a new diet that Audrey's been on. Stuck with it for two weeks. We'll see, steady as she goes.

-I love my skunks. Aroma has been subjected to Toby teaching himself how to be an alpha male, and he is occasionally mean to her. She'll put a foot out of line and he'll pounce on her to put her straight. What I can't figure out is that she'll scamper off and run right back for more five seconds later. That all changed about a week ago. Aroma got like J-Lo in that bad spousal abuse movie "Enough", and just started lashing out at Toby, stomping at him and giving him some of his own medicine.

They never actually fight, it's mostly posturing with Tobias hissing and Aroma grunting and squeaking. She can get pretty noisy for a skunk when she's mad. Aroma's also VERY VERY tricky. She's learned that "panicked squeak when mommy and daddy are out of the room means Toby gets in trouble". It took me a little to figure out that she makes her "ouch you jerk!" squeak without getting touched half the time. Now when she makes that noise, it likely means she's going after Tobias. Tobias, after getting to be a bully for a few months, doesn't know what to make out of being evicted from his hidey hole under the sink. He's taken up alternative residence in the bedroom closet. Occasionally she allows him back for midday nesting.