(no subject)

Another orthodontist appointment today, and I still do not have the braces on my bottom teeth. Bit of pulling and dragging, spacers were removed, the size of something that has to do with the bottom brace was sorted out, and new pink thingys put on the top row, but nothing along the bottom yet, nor will there be on the next visit... which is frustrating because I had myself all psyched up to get the damn thing on today, and now here I am again.

On the other hand, he took an x-ray and compared it to the mutant tooth revealing x-ray that was taken in October 2004, and my goodness the difference. Mind you, I've noticed that already, because when I got my pics back at NFA last weekend (first pics I've had taken of me since I got the braces on) it was the first thing I noticed, the difference in my teeth with the braces. (Though not in the Christian Kane photo, for obvious reasons)

HelsinkiPrincipal came in today and asked me for my class choices for next year... then proceeded to ask me, sotto voce, why I was so dead set against taking mine on for next year... think he was a bit bemused, as that class was handpicked last year, (two big fourths were split into three smaller fifths) and I was trying to explain how the personalities just didn't mix, one would set the other off etc.... I didn't mention that one of the subs who was in one of the classes on maternity leave last year said to someone who said to me that in her opinion, there were kids together in that class who never should have been put into the mix together at all... the other two fifths that we got are lovely and quiet, I'm not sure why it's me who seems to have got all the loo-lahs... and then I started feeling guilty, wondering if I was being too hard, or too sensitive, or too ridiculous... then a quick chat with the two teachers on either side of me put paid to that notion - they don't blame me for not taking them on either! That's the worst thing about teaching... sometimes, you feel it's you, when you know it's not!

Also, five weeks to the summer and I'm hopeless behind in just about everything... and the fact that it's silly season and the kids are being taken off school for holidays, even though they're not supposed to be, does not help... had one child back from two weeks in Lanzarote today, brown as a berry and looking down her nose at me... same child whose parent came in a few weeks ago and tore strips off me ... "I'm not up to fight with you" when evidently he was... the child does not lick her attitude problem off the wall and this is supposed to be one of my "nice" children. Another reason I'm not taking them on!

(no subject)

From neonhummingbird -- Explain Your Live Journal Name and its Meaning meme. When you're done, tag as many people as there are letters in your name.

First of all, the most obvious question that I get all the damn time - are you Finnish?

No.

Once upon a time, there was an ice skater called Elvis Stojko. Who I adored. He won a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics, world titles in 1994,1995 and 1997, and was one of the favourites going into the 1998 Olympics. Whereupon, depending on your point of view, the "Scott Hamilton/World Champion Jinx", or the "Canadian Flag Bearer Jinx" or the "Great Canadian Hope Jinx", take your pick, either or all, struck him, and he skated his free program sick, with the flu, on an already injured leg, and then tore his aductor muscle on the first jump and went on to complete 8 triple jumps, something that precious few men in the damn competition did, and won himself his second silver medal.

Now, conventional wisdom had it that he was going to retire after the 1998 Olympics/Worlds. But of course, he couldn't skate at worlds because he was having trouble, you know, walking, so there was speculation that he was going to go on for another year, to the 1999 World Championships.

In Helsinki.

Which I had bought tickets to before any of this became an issue. Certainly prior to Worlds 98, not sure if prior to Olympics.

So, there was to be a press conference to announce his intentions. On September 8th 1998. (This? This is how much of a fan of that man that I am.) I had the time conversions worked out, it was 8pm Irish time. At precisely 8.01 that evening, I turned on my computer. At about 8.06 I managed to check my email. (Dial up.) And nothing.

I checked every other minute while going around online to see if there was anything.

Nothing.

Then finally, it came. The email for which I had been waiting. And Mary, God bless her, did not beat around bush. There it was, in all capital letters in the subject line, STAYING IN!!!!!!!!!

I screamed. In such a way that HelsinkiSister knew it was good news, and she rushed up the hall to celebrate with me.

We had just seen the episode of Friends that ended with Ross and Emily's wedding, the one where Joey keeps on going "London baby!!!"

And I fired out a bubbly email to my buds on the Elvis list to share my enthusiasm, that I was going to see Elvis skate live, listing off all the competitions that he was going to be at that season, ending with the words "HELSINKI BABY!!!" a la Joey in Friends.

The list liked it so much it became something of a rallying cry for the season. Also, the sig on my email for a good long time.

And that is the story of how helsinkibaby became helsinkibaby.

Tagging - anyone who wants to do it, do it. I have three minutes to get this updated and get my ass offline to ring HelsinkiFiancé!

(no subject)

Because misssimm's journal has just reminded me... Alias finale spoilers are The Evil. Anyone who is looking at it, please cut and tag, and for the love of God and all that is holy, can you please watch the mood themes and the icons? There is more to spoilers than just telling me "OMG can you believe they killed them all????!!!!"

I think I can speak for misssimm when I tell you that we will join forces and hunt you down and kill you. You want no part of that.

*nods firmly*