Nancy Flanagan's blog

Inspired by Arla McPeek's "My Mother, the World's Oldest Rock Star," and Mary T. Kelly's ongoing, hyper-fan blog, I am reprinting my most commented-upon blog ever:

I hate American Idol. I really do.

Around the education blogosphere, there's a lot of clucking about the nine southeast Michigan schools that paid $25,000 apiece to be named "The Best Schools in Michigan" by WXYZ, Channel Seven.

Further establishing my reputation as a person who has no real life, I'd like to ask Livingstontalk readers the ultimate Facebookian question: Have you been told you look like a celebrity?

Last Chance Animal Rescue needs your help. Last Chance Rescue is a non-profit organization committed to saving the lives of animals that otherwise would be destroyed. The website offers multiple ways to help--a great organization, a great cause--or, better yet, you can donate through Dimes for Dogs, February 8-19, at Lakes Elementary School in Hartland.

Most cool article on NPR's "All Songs Considered" on Friday-- asking the question:

Which album name best sums up your life?

This week, my husband, Terry, and I have renewed our habit of walking the halls of the Hartland Educational Services Center. (Nobody calls this building the Educational Services Center, by the way--they call it "the old high school.")

 So--yesterday was what I came to think of, in my long career in education, as one of the Seven Dwarfs Days: on Monday morning, be prepared for Sleepy, Dopey and Grumpy.

I had a temporary crown installed this morning--such a delightful pre-Christmas activity!--and during the entire 90 minutes that I sat helpless and numbed in the dentist's chair, drills whizzing and water shooting up my nose, there was canned holiday music playing nonstop. Occasionally, the dentist would hum--do you hear what I hear?-- and the assistant would nod her head in time, pa rum pum pum pum.

Yech. And not just the dental work.

My friend, Lisa, who lives in North Carolina, posted this little fit of pique on her Facebook page today:

I'm tired of people who get their knickers in a twist if they hear Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. If someone wishes you well, isn't that good enough? There are more holidays than Christmas in the next few weeks--I suggest we try to enjoy them all. Happy Holidays to you!

So--I spent Tuesday up in Lansing, attending the annual conference of the Network of Michigan Educators and I also got to shake the Governor's hand. I admit that I acted like any other garden-variety citizen meeting a Big Famous Person: I smiled and made inane chit-chat with the gov. Here is the sum total of that conversation (bear in mind that we were instructed to tell Governor Granholm why we were members of the Network):

Me: How do you do? I'm Nancy Flanagan, and I was the Michigan Teacher of the Year--umm, well, a long time ago.