I don't have time for this

An infected bug bite left me near-paralyzed today as I limped to the clinic and later ingested a double dosage of antibiotic. WHO DID THIS? The culprit will be avenged for stealing my Saturday and my money.


In other news, I critical massed last night.

After biking down to Belmont Harbor, relaxing, watching sailboats come in for the night or go out for a sunset cruise and journalizing, I headed back to my apartment. As I prepared to cross Sheridan, I ran into Critical Mass. I could hardly believe my good luck, and I enthusiastically joined. I've wanted to ride along for over a year, and I was not disappointed. People are neat and crazy.
CHECK.

Organic Fail.

I purchased the cheapest option of eggs today.

And I quote...

Miss Seversen, do you think you could spread out the students' desks a bit because they looked kind of close together, and sneezing and cold season is around the corner. Thank you. Mrs. Rodriguez

What a lousy earth!  He wondered how many people were destitute that same night even in his own prosperous country, how many homes were shanties, how many husbands were drunk and wives socked, and how many children were bullied, abused or abandoned.  How many families hungered for food they could not afford to buy?  How many hearts were broken?  How many suicides would take place that same night, how many people would go insane?  How many cockroaches and landlords would triumph? How many winners were losers, successes failures, rich men poor men?  How many wise guys were stupid?  How many happy endings were unhappy endings?  How many honest men were liars, brave men cowards, loyal men traitors, how many sainted men were corrupt, how many people in positions of trust had sold their souls to blackguards for petty cash, how many had never had souls?  How many straight-and-narrow paths were crooked paths?  How many best families were worst families and how many good people were bad people?  When you added them all up and then subtracted, you might be left with only the children, and perhaps with Albert Einstein and an old violinist or sculptor somewhere.  

-

school marm

Hello.

School is officially my life. Here, I'll include some schedule details just to prove it, and to validate my feelings of overwhelmtion.

I wake up before 4:30

I am riding public transportation by 5:10

I pray for strength during the morning's "moment of silence"

I avoid the special ed teacher, because I haven't had a chance to read through the kids' IEPs yet

I attack bullying

I answer the same question over and over again, enabling my students to continue tuning me out the first time

I secretly love the bad kids

I call the number on my classroom printer to get it fixed, then I try to fix the school copier, then I go to Target to buy myself a printer which ends up not working either

I'm proud of my bulletin board - "Sailing into Sixth Grade with Ms. Seversen" - and I wonder if I'll teach alliterations

I reward my kids with stories about when I used hand soap instead of hand sanitizer

I stress about getting them to their specials on time then apologize over and over again to the art teacher for being 8 minutes late

I send boys to the bathroom to wash out their fohawks

I call parents to inquire after absences

I regret wearing high heals

I fall asleep grading papers after school

I read 20 emails a day and try to remember due dates until I can find a desk calendar

I go into banks and ask for registry book covers - 32, please

In the afternoons, I resolve to be more strict, then can't follow through the next morning when the kids are still quiet and sweet

I go straight to work after I get home from work

I resent my roommate for implying surprise at my lack of interest in socializing

I share a box of tissues with my student whose father beats her and whose siblings bully her.

Then I force myself to leave my students' burdens at school so I can be the stable, enthusiastic encouragement they will need me to be the next morning.