ZEPHYR

Well, it happened. I caught my September cold. Seems going back to school each year that about two to three weeks into the school year I catch a cold. Seems my body hasn't built up any resistence from all those little germs roaming around the school, I mean children.

With the kiddies constantly coughing and sneezing I'm bound to pick something as my room is only the size of a shoebox, I kid you not. I even use Purell on my hands during the day in hopes of not catching any unnecessary germs. I don't think it helped much,

Anyhow, I got to thinking, it seems like nowadays everyone is putting a name on something. Notably Hurricanes,in fact, here in the NorthEast one TV station even names the NorEasters that roll through during the winter.

So I decided to name my colds, starting from the back of the alphabet. So I think you guessed it. My first cold of the season is named "Zephyr". I'm hoping this is the only cold I need to name also. Will be nice not to have to think up any more names.

At this writing Zephyr has pretty much departed though there is still some residual coughing and nose blowing, it has pretty much "gone out to see".

ON A DAY WHEN I COULD SLEEP IN

It's 5am and I'm wide awake, it's 5 am and it's a Saturday, it's 5 am and I should be sleeping, it's 5am and I feel like crap, it's 5 am and I've got a cold!!

Yep, true to form I get a cold within the first month of school starting. Happens every year, I can almost set my clock by it. All those little germs... er... kids I teach, love to share everything, even their colds. Isn't that sweet? At least this year it came on a Saturday so maybe by Monday I'll be feeling better. Time to load up on Echinecea and zinc and C

What's the saying? Seven days coming, Seven days going. So by October 3rd I'll finally stop whining about the cold. Until then best be looking for your ear plugs. I can't stand myself now.

START ME UP

I am the proud owner of my very own remote car starter thanks to my lovely wife, Divadeb who gave this to me as a birthday present last summer.

Now why would someone want a remote car starter in the middle of summer you ask? I could use it to cool of the car on those hot hot days, which could happen. Mainly it's for winter. On those cold days when you need to warm up your car a few minutes before you drive it, mainly to get the frost off the windshield and soften the seat a little so it doesn't feel like you are sitting on a board and where you normally would sink into the seat your head actually hits the roof of the car cause there is no "give" in the seat. A remote starter is justified right there.

I could use it to scare the bejesus out of some one that is loitering around my car, or someone passing by, or looking into my car and it starts by itself.

As much as I don't like naming inanimate objects I am sorely tempted to name my car "KITT", but you know what, that ain't gonna happen either. My car will be known as the car, or my car or the Hyundai or the Sante Fe, but never a name of endearment. I start doing that and you know it's time to take away the car keys and call for the men with those long sleeved jackets.

I used it for the first time last night, just to "see" how it works. I must say it works very well. In fact I can be sitting at this computer and start the car. Now you have to realize, the car is on the other side of the house, no windows looking out onto the car, though I am still only about 30 feet away and the car still starts. WOW!! I'm impressed.

Now if I can only park the car close enough to my school, I can have a nice toasty car to get into for my ride home. So bring on the cold, I'm ready!!

HURRICANE FRANCES Vs TORNADO TIM

I totally feel so bad for those people who live in the path of Hurricane Frances. I live on the Northeast and will also feel some of Frances as we always do feel some of the remnants from most Hurricanes. I have never experienced a hurricane and hope I never will.

Now tornados, that's another animal of a different color. With tornados, at least with a little warning you can get out of it's way. Growing up in North Dakota I've seen my share of tornados and have run away from a few also. At least with a tornado you can see it coming whereas a Hurricane, you get a windy rain storm. The tornado gives you wind and also rain, a lot of it and causes a lot of damage also, though not usually in the billions of dollars Hurricanes do. Tornados have decimated small towns though. The force of a tornado is so great I've seen a piece of straw driven into a tree, now that's power.

Why aren't tornados named like Hurricanes? Easy enough. You'd run out of names as there are so many tornados in any given year. Living in North Dakota, tornado warnings/watches are common place. The tornado siren sounds, most people come outside to see where the darn thing is and then (cause I've done this), you take a picture of the darn thing instead of heading for shelter. I have to tell you though, I got some pretty good tornado pictures though. I can't tell you which one though cause we don't name them!

Another thing about tornados is they are short lived as they move quite quickly. A tornado event can be over in a matter of a few minutes.

IS THE SCHOOL YEAR OVER YET?

I've just finished my first week of school for the new school year and I have to tell you that it feels like I've been there for a month already. Thank God for the long weekend, maybe that will feel like a three week vacation? I doubt it. I expect it to fly by.

All in all the first week went well, but then we are in the "honeymoon" period. The true colors will come out soon enough. The the "fun" begins.

Those who know me know I teach music in grades K-5.
The first day I had a Kindergarten class, I ask the kids what do you think we do in music class. One little boy stated, I want to play the Tuba. I asked him if he knew what a Tuba looked like and all he said was that it was a big horn. I think I changed his mind when I told him it was bigger than he was. So I'm hoping he will be happy playing on a hand drum and maybe some maracas.