Mucrone Monday

mucrone - stiff sharp point forming an abrupt end

Yes, that's right. Once again Monday has snuck up on me. I tell you, it feels like forever since I wrote last Monday's post.

And once again we're celebrating Labour Day by doing as little as possible. LOL

Labour Day ... the day kids all dread and parents all look forward to. It marks the end of the summer and the beginning of the school year. At least for some kids, that is.

I can't believe the amount of upheaval we've had regarding schools lately!

Enrollment has been dropping off across the board in our town over the past few years, and rather than allow our kids to take advantage of a better education that comes from smaller class sizes, the school board decided, "Hey, let's shut down these smaller, friendlier schools and create one big generic school instead! Never mind that half the kids will have to be bussed to it instead of walking, we can save crap loads of money and give ourselves a raise!"

They did the same thing with the high school too.

Last year our town boasted three high schools, but the powers that be decided to close the beautiful West High School with its charming atmosphere and hardwood floors, the original high school of the town, and amalgamate it with the East High School instead. But first ... they were going to renovate and turn the East High School into a big enough school to accommodate everyone.

Actually, I think the renovations have been going on for a couple of years now. One of my nieces went to the East high school, and most of their classes were done on-line last year, which was not the most brilliant of plans because over half the students are bussed in from outlying farm country where internet reception is spotty at best. Nevertheless, in the spring the town bid a tearful goodbye to CDCI West, as it closed its doors for the last time.

The only problem is, the renovations to the East high school (now known as CCI, Cobourg Collegiate Institute) are not done. At least they sure didn't look done when I drove by it this morning. Supposedly the offices and classrooms are usable, but rumour has it the cafeteria isn't finished and there are wires still hanging from the ceilings. I won't even mention the big, portable chain link fences still cutting off access to most of it. I'm sure I won't be the only one interested in what happens tomorrow.

And while we're on the subject of being at the mercy of builders ... one of my nieces is starting her first year of university this year. Bad enough this sweet, but shy, girl is having to deal with moving from a small town to a big city, but the residence she was supposed to be moving into is not habitable yet. Hundreds of first year students, many of them from out of province, are without the rooms they were promised, as well as the pre-paid meal plans. Hotel accommodations came too late, if at all, and were completely inadequate. You can hear some more about it HERE

So it looks to me like not everyone is celebrating Labour Day this year.

On Flicking Your Bic and The Most Dangerous Time of the Year . . .

So . . . it's that time of year again. If you're a parent it's the most wonderful time of the year:



But even if you're not a parent you can still take advantage of all the wonderful bargains of office supplies school supplies going on right now.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I have a bit of an office supply addiction:

Just so you know, that's just the tip of the iceberg. That I also have drawers full of paper, small notebooks, pencils, pens, and let's not forget the mecca of office supplies . . . stick notes. :-)

This is the time of year I avoid office supply stores, like Staples, like the plague. As well as dollar stores and certain sections of department stores. Walmart has been particularly dangerous with its ten cent packages of paper and exercise books. The last time I saw a sale like that I bought enough lined paper to see my daughter through high school and university, and I just discovered a couple of unopened packages of that paper in an upstairs closet a couple of days ago.

So while it may be the most wonderful time of the year, it's also the most dangerous time of year for people who have an office supply addiction, like me.

Now, you're probably wondering what that has to do with "flicking your bic." Well, I'll tell you.

One of the commercials I've been seeing a lot lately is for Bic pens. Papermate has been running them too, but the Bic ones stick in my head because of the catchphrase "flick my Bic" which actually has nothing to do with pens. I'd forgotten the phrase actually referred to Bic lighters.

And the really ironic part is, I don't even like Bic pens. A long time ago I bought a bulk supply of them from a discount store, and by the time I got around to using them most of them had dried up. So the bargain wasn't such a bargain after all. But the catch phrase sticks in my head anyway and makes me want to go buy some pens. Just not Bics. :-)