Ahoy there me hearties! This be MINIon #0919. While ye might be thinkin’ I pulled a fast one… Yea, there already be a pirate MINIon (MINIon #1883 if you be wantin’ to know). So what could I be doin’ on this grand an glorious occasion? The only thing possible (since I canna draw bilge rats as MINIons)! So this be what ye gets! So while ye be “talkin’ like a pirate” this day, remember- comin’ up with something to say in pirate speak ain’t as easy as ye thinks. So God speed and may the wind always be at yer back. oh, and “Arrrrrgh!” 
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A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0919
Ahoy there me hearties! This be MINIon #0919. While ye might be thinkin’ I pulled a fast one… Yea, there already be a pirate MINIon (MINIon #1883 if you be wantin’ to know). So what could I be doin’ on this grand an glorious occasion? The only thing possible (since I canna draw bilge rats as MINIons)! So this be what ye gets! So while ye be “talkin’ like a pirate” this day, remember- comin’ up with something to say in pirate speak ain’t as easy as ye thinks. So God speed and may the wind always be at yer back. oh, and “Arrrrrgh!” A Year in MINIons- MINIon #7000
School fundraisers… each year they get more and more extreme. Once upon a time, people donated to their schools and they was no spectacle. Now, schools have to have an event and each year they get more and more strange. This year the trend deals with duct tape. Basically, duct tape the principal to a wall somewhere in the school. For many kids the principal is the most powerful person they have ever known. Having them do something silly is a great motivator. Many principals forget that we work with kids and ignore any suggestions to do something embarrassing. Fortunately, my principal isn’t one of those types. So tonight after celebrating raising a bunch of money for the school (and therefore the kids) he had himself duct taped and left hanging for a few minutes to the cheers and giggles of the students. It was the nice end to a great evening with families and kids. Oh he also secured funding so that every kid was given shirt with the school logo on it. Sometimes, my job, isn’t that bad. Although the highlighter yellow shirts were a bit bright for my old eyes, then again, the kids loved them. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1734
I guessing this MINIon watched way too many reruns of popular shows from the 50’s and 60’s… definitely a Fess Parker fan. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #5682
Some things just become part of you… for me, one of those things is “Little Shop of Horrors.” Here are my foggy memories connected to it: Seeing the stage play in Chicago as a gift from my in-laws – wonderful night, simply wonderful I can’t thank them enough. Loving the film version of the musical and memorizing all the songs… I guess the silly thing was that Sue and I would sing the duets, which is another happy thought. I guess I really could identify with Seymour… but then again, I’m a geek. Then going back and finding the original source material- and falling asleep every time I try to watch it. 🙂
Like I said, some things become a part of you… and a musical about a man-eating plant, seems to be a big part of me. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1892
You know I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel when I result to American Football. Most of my friends know that when everyone is going wild about football, I tend to joke about “soccer” just because.
I was once a football fan- I was 8 and Sears was selling “official” football gear at Christmas. My parents wanted us to grow up as good American boys. My brother (who liked the ocean) picked the Dolphins. I picked the Raiders (we lived near Oakland) . Not much to say, as the years went by the Raiders followed me south, won a Superbowl, moved back north… and I moved east. Now I’m in “Colt’s Country” with everyone spending every cent of their disposable income to support the local team… I won’t go into my thoughts on this, I’ve upset enough people in person. That said, I really tend to support the team that plays well (without cheating- sorry Patriots). but I will always post about European football scores as people in the U.S. spend way too much time and money on bread & circuses. I wonder what would happen if everyone spent just as much on schools (no, not the high school football team, actual education), or infrastructure, or their own community. Funny thing, in Indiana they don’t complain about tax increases to support millionaire football players, or billionaire owners, but stutter and stall at supporting local initiatives that actually help “real people.” No, I don’t own an official “jersey” for Colt’s days at school… I know I’m just a bad person.
Oh, and I believe this referee call shown is “I’m innocent, don’t shoot” which sadly so many football players need these days. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1874
I really don’t think I’ll be able to escape this challenge, no matter how hard I try… Then again, it could be just Monday. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1415
We are not amused… Although a monkey in regal wear is kind of funny… but not funny enough to amuse us. Off with his head! and the head of the cartoonist too!
A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1926
After yesterday’s MINIon, what could be more uplifting than a geeky monkey with a chocolate milkshake? A geeky monkey with a chocolate milkshake with a cherry on top! Happy Chocolate Milkshake Day! A Year in MINIons- MINIon #2977
I really don’t know what to say about this one… just a sad day for everyone. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0083
I’m a teacher… I wanted to be one since I was in 4th grade. At least that’s when I recall first considering the idea, walking down the “halls” of Montemalaga Elementary School. Why? Am I a glutton for punishment? I chose my profession not because I wanted to make fistfuls of cash, but because I wanted to make a difference. As I grew older my ideas changed- I remember in middle school telling someone I wanted to be a biochemist- when asked “why?” all I could come up with was “it sounded cool.” So when I went to college I had three ideas for a profession- Teaching, International Business, or Advertising. I got the jolt to go into teaching when I looked at colleges and one told me they couldn’t give me a degree in elementary education.
You see when I was in 6th grade my parents decided to expand our family… so I ended up with two brothers, young enough for me to take on the role of babysitter. When I reached senior year I was able to get a job at a day care center. I recall when my mom asked about my first observation all I could think was “They call this work?!?” people say- do what you love… for more years than I can think I have tried.
So today’s MINIon is for all the teachers out there working against the politicians, and the media. Doing what they know is right to help create a future we all want to live in.
I couldn’t have done it alone, I was influenced by many wonderful teachers along the way. From my “Grandmother” (she never wanted to be called that) June- who without knowing it had three Nelson boys go to a classroom. My friend Mark’s mom, wh0 helped through the monotony that is undergrad, Education courses. Along many master teachers I had – too many to name. I became the best teacher I could. Am I perfect? I wish. I still end up with a worm in an apple every once in a while… but that’s a part of life. My advice to you?- Just take some time to thank a teacher who influenced you, and remember them before you become a lemming and just follow the teachers are “Union Thugs” and “Lazy” line the media and politics are pushing. To those students I’ve had- all I can say is “Thank You” for letting me be a small part of your hopefully wonderful life. And you know if you had done your homework… 😉