Author: sideeyeprose

Recently I found an old column I had written for my local paper many moons ago and realized that it is as relevant today as it was back then. I know many of you can relate.

Here goes, with some minor edits:

The cost of public schools is killing me, you and most teachers, who reach knee-deep into their pockets to supplement their classrooms.

Forget the fact that homeowners pay more in school tax than property tax.

Let’s pay close attention to the big fat check the school asks you for on registration day, and beyond. The beyond part is where they let you set up a login to make it easy for you to give them your money.

It’s $8 for PTA, $2 for the locker, $5 for the clinic, blah, blah, blah. Add to that the list of supplies, which includes enough tissues and paper towels to pad the walls, and BAM! About $100 per kid to show up shiny and new on the first day of school.

We’ve all heard it before, but here it goes again.

All I needed was a pencil and a notebook when I went to school.

What is the deal with the rulers, scissors, markers, glue, tape, gasoline, set of four tires for an SUV and a blow-up pool?

Yep, pencils and a notebook were all I needed… and snow boots to walk the five miles (all uphill), in the blizzard with nothing but a dress and a sweater to keep me warm.

So, tell me one more time, where is my school tax money going?

Until next time…

As I pave my way through my blog journey, you will slowly learn more and more about me, my dogs, my favorite and least favorite things and much more.

I will begin by telling you this:

I’m a dog person.

For the record, I have no opinion on cats.

However, my dog Pearl (aka: Hurricane Pearl/Mayhem), has lots of opinions on cats.

She finds them tasty, sharp, fast, frustrating and downright confusing.

Normally she is great on a leash and LOVES her walks. All business. She is the self-proclaimed Mayor of the neighborhood.

During our daily walk this morning, the sound of shrieking cats coming from behind some neighbors’ homes put H. Pearl off her game. She lost her focus.

Instead of walking straight ahead as usual, she meandered like a low-flying kite. All day long she has been cantankerous and stubborn. Exiting through the back door to the fenced yard is not an option. The only door she will agree to darken today is the front door leading to her imagined cat-utopia. Unbeknownst to H. Pearl, what she envisions is not reality. Cat-astrophe awaits.

Many of her escapades, or shall I say escapes, have led to her returning home in a bloodbath equivalent to time on the battlefield. Her memory is short when it comes to cat-egorizing events as good or bad.

The good news is that I have found a great way to get her mind off the feline fantasy. It’s called thunderstorms! Though her behavior during storms is another story for another day, I will disclose this much…. thunderstorms….. that is how she acquired her full name.

“What do dogs do on their day off? Can’t lie around – that’s their job.” – George Carlin (comedian)

Next time: Back to school and the tax debate….