4 things, maybe 5

1. I have more grading to do within the next week than is humanly possible. At the end of each grading period I do question my decision to become an English teacher.

2. My students get a *5 day weekend. I get a measly 3 day one. Nothing like knowing someone gets more time off than you do to turn a 3 day weekend to crap.

3. Today's Catalog Living made me laugh out loud. Alone. In my classroom. When I should have been grading papers.

4.I have to come up with an effective plan to avoid trick-or-treaters this Halloween. Sunday evening will undoubtedly find me hiding under my bed with a flashlight.

5. If I didn't have an appointment after school I'd be home and in bed by 2:30 p.m. Sadly, I do have an appointment after school today.

* Friday we're celebrating "Nevada Day" and have no school. For further information on Nevada day go here, or here. Monday and Tuesday are "Professional Development Days". This means the kids get them off, but I DON'T!!!

Yeah, but I've been to Kansas City!

When I was an undergrad at BYU I had a particularly annoying roommate who, along with stinking to high heaven, had the annoying habit of having to top EVERYONE'S story, no matter what it was: You have a cold? Stinky nearly died from the flu when she was 12. You have three papers due this week: She had four last semester!

Well, my friend M and I who roomed with this delightful creature had just returned from our missions in New York City. This left us with highly sensitive bull crap meters and a toughness honed by 18 months of walking at night through dangerous neighborhoods handing out our phone numbers to random strangers.

I have to say that although I'm sure I was in danger from time to time during my 18 months in Queens and Brooklyn, I was never scared or nervous. I was on the Lord's errand and was where I was supposed to be.

One night after sharing our favorite "I could have been killed this one time...." stories (a favorite pastime of returned missionaries in general and New York South missionaries in particular), Stinky piped up with "Yeah, but you didn't serve in Kansas City. Kansas City is REALLY dangerous." We scoffed and laughed at her. I mean we had served in NEW YORK CITY! A city KNOWN for danger and crime.

Thereafter the phrase, "Yeah, but I've been to Kansas City!" became synonymous with bull crap.

Why do I bring this up today?
For the past two years, the people at Walletpop.com have compiled the 25 worst neighborhoods in the United States. Not too surprisingly Las Vegas made the list. Not once. Not twice. But count 'em THREE TIMES.

Let me make it even clearer. Those three neighborhoods are in the top EIGHT most dangerous.

Why do I bring this up? Not to scare my mother (who refused to allow me to student teach in inner city Washington D.C. even though I'd served my mission in New York City), although she might think otherwise. Nope.

I'm sharing this info to let you know that my school is located right smack dab in the middle of the third most dangerous neighborhood in the United States:



yep. That one.

To sum up, we ship the best and the brightest students from all over Las Vegas to a neighborhood wherein you have a 1 in 7 chance of being a victim of crime.

Here's the thing. Like my time as a young missionary in New York City, I have never felt nervous or worried or even hesitant about my safety at my school. I suppose being where you're supposed to be and doing what you're supposed to do makes all of the difference.

Also, I mention this list because for all of these years I felt so big and bad and brave for working Bed Stuy and South Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Turns out they didn't even make the list. What a let down.

Kansas City did. It's number 23. I guess Stinky had a point.

But I'VE been to Las Vegas 89106!