Home Sweet Home....

As most of you know, it was a bit of a rough adjustment for us when we first moved to the Florida panhandle a year and a half ago. We missed the coffee but Ft. Walton Beach soon got its first Starbucks and, thankfully, they have been cropping up everywhere. We missed the selections of non fried food but we eventually found some favorite restaurants that feature food not deep fried in grease. We missed the granola in the cereal aisle but we found a health food store that carries some. We missed the good shopping (which is pathetic for me to even say since Tacoma is not exactly the fashion capital of the world.....until you move here...) but we discovered the joys of online shopping and the Destin Commons Outdoor Mall on the island.

Before too long, we even came to appreciate the particular advantages of living on the Gulf Coast: some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, perpetual sun, the awe of a REAL thunderstorm, the tradition and camraderie of our tiny neighborhood on Camp Rudder, the great school I teach at and the joy of being able to "peek in" on Kaitlyn's class at any time of the day, Okaloosa Island's many attractions and the antique shopping, having historically significant landmarks within driving distance, we could go on and on. We have truly come to love Florida, or LA (lower Alabama) as most natives like to refer to the panhandle. We have even started to feel a certain pride in our adopted home. And then we receive e-mails like this one:




NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND
These are real notes written by parents in an Alabama school district. Spellings have been left intact.

1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.

2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.

3. Dear school: please ecsc's john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.

5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

10. Please excuse ray friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She had diahre dyrea direathe the sh--ts.

12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak

13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because i don't know what size she wear.

16. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it monday. We thought it was sunday.

17. Sally won't be in school a week from friday. We have to attend her funeral.

18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the marines.

19. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.

21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.

22. Please excuse brenda. She has been sick and under the doctor.

23. Maryann was absent december 11-16, because she had a fever, sorethroat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever an sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.

**********************************************************************************

It is when I receive e-mails like this one, and realize that it isn't too far off the mark, that I am proud to be able to claim allegiance to another state, far, far away from Alabama and Florida.............. Yep, loving the sunshine and the southern history but also loving the fact that I can claim no possible relation to the people who inspire such e-mails. Hope it makes you laugh as much as it made me laugh!