Drive-by Blogging

Hi! Well, the last time I posted I gave a few reasons why I might be a little busy. Have you heard that Mercury is in retrograde? Since the last post the art teacher at my school has become gravely ill (nice thoughts should be directed to Ann in Tyrone) and, as I am the one sub who gets along with her and can follow her (somewhat wandering) lesson plans, I am in charge of art for the rest of the year (which means I write the lesson plans for myself and my sub because the regular teacher is too sick, and I prepare all the supplies for classes, I organize the end of the year return of projects and get as much as possible ready for the art show). Naturally, just before this I volunteered to bake dessert for the entire congregation at the Rabbi's last service before she goes off to do her summer thing, and I signed up and paid for Annie Modisett's classes in Stroudsburg, Pa. Now, the wonderful secretary will not let me give up these two events. I stayed at school until 5pm last night to get some things ready for the annual art show. The head of the arts department went to the principal, who asked the Superintendent if I could get some over-time pay to cover all the work that needed to be done for the end of the year. Wanna guess what he said? Go on, but remember he's a member of the administration and I'm a lowly sub. Yup, no pay beyond my measly $75 a day. Therefore and hence, the other subs, the secretary and the teachers will not let me stay past three o'clock. The Husband keeps trying to get me to switch school districts (which would mean new clearances and learning all new names). The pay is just a tad higher but I like it where I am as long as I stay away from admin.
In knitting, I am working away on the shawl, I'm on row 291 out of 483 of the garter stitch center. That's all good, I'm too fried to knit complicated. That said, I finished the right sock of Cookie A's kai-mei socks and I'm at the heel of the second. Thank G-d we have a three-day weekend. I'm planning a movie, a picnic, and a whole lot of knitting. And you?

Tales from the Trenches

The Husband and Elder Son (he insisted on credit) thinks you will enjoy this story. I was in the second grade wing today and in the early afternoon I escorted the class to the rest room. The girl who was the monitor came pelting out of the girl's room, "Mrs. Gordon! Mrs. Gordon! Someone made black marks on the bathroom door!" I went in to check and the janitors had obviously greased the hinges and some of the grease got on the back of the door. I reassured the monitor and we went on our way (the boys were gasping for air due to the smell in their side so I called them all out and got some air freshener from the teacher's bathroom, see, I was in both restrooms). Later that afternoon one of the other teachers stopped me and asked if any of the girls or boys had told me there were "dirty words" on the walls. I could assure her that there were no words there when I had gone into both rooms. She said this was the second week there had been writing on the walls. I asked, " Were they, at least, spelled properly?"

"Funny thing," she replied, "they weren't last week, but they are now." Who says American education is headed for the crapper?

On another note, we are celebrating Dr. Seuss this week and today was Pajama Day. Either I have the best tailored PJs you've ever seen, or I need to start dressing better. At least three people asked why I didn't wear PJs. (But one kid liked my socks).