T minus 2 days

Well, I have one more day with my kids. I am a little torn about it. Today was the last day of the kids pictured below, and it was typical. I have to say that I am really glad that they were ornery. In reality, I am pretty sure it was me. I was tired, stressed, overwhelmed, and just irritable. I felt like I had a ton to do but was just spinning in circles. Because of all of that, we did not have time for the sappy goodbyes, “who are we going to visit” moments, and this is our last lunch together feelings. Honestly, since I burst into tears when I told them I was leaving, I know I could not have handled much today.

I brought my second (and last) car load of stuff home. That is not all that much stuff if you know what kind of car I drive. My grades are fairly up to date, and I probably have one more box of random crap to pack at work. All of that being said, it is still a strange feeling. I have so much angst and so many bitter feelings about where I work, but I adore the people I work for…the kids. As one of them said, this is a comfort zone at its finest. I am by no means upset to leave the environment; I just hope that I have as much fun in my new office. Not to mention, I have never really had any “real” time off. Sure, I get vacations here and there, but it is always just enough time to start relaxing and then just head back to work. I am nervous that I will go stir crazy with my 6 weeks off. More importantly, I think I am going to spend a ridiculous amount of money!! Robyn…HELP!

Anyhoo, I will keep you posted as the week progresses. C warned me that my last day will be terribly upsetting. She left last year under similar circumstances. She was equally unhappy with the situation, but also had family up north. She has been through it, warned me, so I warn you…I may be making some phone calls Wednesday night.

Wordless Wednesday

Because words could not express how very proud I am of these kiddos!!

Focus... (cont.)

The rest of yesterday's post. Scroll down to begin.



4.) KICKBALL! This one has been months in progress. I knew that it would be thrown together given the end of year activities, but it was on the verge of exploding. Long story short, I made it a priority, MY kids made it a priority, the players …?… not so much. People got involved that just did not need to. It pissed me off beyond belief, and my poor kids got the wrath. I am so sorry, yall. Please know that it was not at you and I am sorry you took it. That being said, my kids pulled off the first great thing I have seen while being at my current place of business!! They put together a powder puff kickball game that was far beyond my expectations! Parents, students, alumni, and Grinsie all came and had a great time. Congrats to you all. Each of you has so much to offer the world. I am proud to have known you.

5.) I am appreciated! Two weeks ago one of my kiddos brought me roses as a “Thank You”. I was shocked. It made my day; if not my week.



6.) The light. I see it. The end is near. Geez, that sounds far more morbid than I mean it to sound. I am not sad to leave the comfort because, to be honest, it is no longer comfortable and has not been for 2 years. I am sad to say goodbye to the good people. I am sad to say goodbye to great kids. I am BEYOND EXCITED about what is in my future!!

That brings me to my next point. I LOVE MY NEW JOB!!!! Today I had a meeting there and had the same feelings I did the first time I walked into the place. Initially I think, “What in the world am I doing here?” It is just so drastically different from what I ever thought of doing in my life. It is exactly the opposite of “the type” of person I would associate myself with in life. But once I am actually past the entrance and down the hall I realize on thing. This is perfect! As one of my favorite kids said today, “where are you going?” I answered his question. Completely straight faced he said, “Oh. Heaven. Can’t blame you.” There is so much more than the stereotype of what I know. Once I am inside, it is nothing like my perception. I mean sure, it is beautiful, but not stuffy or stuck-up or bratty. It is an environment of development and challenges and growth and respect for everyone involved. Young and old alike. Once I am thoroughly engrossed in the day-to-day activities I hope I feel the same way. One of the people I spoke with today made the statement, “I have worked here for over 25 years and I am just as excited about it now as I was when I first started.” What a novel concept! Man! I can’t wait!

Focus people, FOCUS!!

Since I am pretty much done with new material at work, it is time to turn to the next task at hand. But there is so much to do before I can move on to my new challenge. The water is beginning to recede and the elephants are moving up the mountains preparing for the tidal wave. That was not a Republican joke, Eb. And yes, it does deserve to be capitalized. I digress. In response to the growing to-do list, I thought I would make a post of the “good stuff”. It was supposed to be just about work, but some other aspects of my life sneak in there also. It was too long, so the rest of the post will come tomorrow. Maybe Thursday. We shall see.

1.) Prom was wonderful. The kids looked nice, behavior was great, food was super tasty, music…was… well, music, the king and queen were very deserving (as were the other nominees), and my dress was the most comfortable thing I have worn in a long time. Well, since last year’s dress; which ended up being worn by one of my kid’s date this year.
I even ended up having a great prom night. Stop thinking that right now! I met up with a good friend of mine and we rushed to make last call. We had a nice little chat over a pint. Granted I was in full prom get-up and he was in jeans and a t-shirt (jealous!), but that is what I love about him. Always up for a pint…prom or pjs.

2.) Testing. First, it is over!! Aside from that, this is the best it has ever run. Thanks to my best friend, Robyn, who stayed up many a night until the wee hours of the morning. Everyone had a day off, tested grade levels they were familiar with, in their rooms, and even had breaks. THANKS ROBYN!! Now go hang out with your toddler and husband. She is the short one, he is a little taller. She is crazy cute, he is … a little taller.
My other test was at 7:30 in the morning after prom. I was really nervous that they would oversleep, but they all showed up. Now they were not wearing bells or anything, but they were there…EARLY! I provided breakfast and they just had to show up and do their best. They said they felt good about it. That could be a blessing or a curse. We shall see in a few months.

3.) My last DH meetings ended on a good note. They were short, sweet, and best of all, DONE! That is enough about those.

Again, the original post was way, way too long. Stay tuned for more tomorrow or Thursday...

Sorry, but...

It has been a little crazy here. Testing, prom, more testing, officially resigning, packing, planning end of the year party, tournaments, and preparing for graduation festivities gets a little overwhelming all at once. Not to mention it is still super hard to go to work each day, and at the same time, I am really sad to be leaving the people that are the reason I go to work. There are so many that I hope are successful in life, and I just wish I could hear about all those joys over the years. It is a bit of a bummer to know that the chances of that are slim now that I am leaving. My hope is that some will touch base a year or two or three from now at my new "place of business" and tell me some amazing story about something in their life.
It is quite a roller coaster. One minute I am upset because of some meeting that went terribly wrong, I gather my composure, and the next minute I am a mess because a kid gives me a "we will miss you so much" card.
In the coming months I need to refocus. I need to convince myself that I am good at what I do for a living. I never thought I was the best, but I honestly thought at one point that I was pretty darn good. After the past two years, I just want to be decent again.

Wordless Wednesday

On my way to the Capitol...

Queue Flashdance and Fame

I AM OUT!! I was offered a new position at the “elite” company almost three weeks ago and I hesitated to post for fear of a jinx. But now…NOW! The first round of papers are signed, the background check came back clear (no big surprise – I am pretty boring), the second round of papers are signed and it is a done deal! Granted, I have no idea what I will be doing, but it is official, I am out of the cold, dark place I currently am today. That is probably the best experience of it all…TURNING IN MY RESIGNATION! “Ah, what a FEELING!” Man, it was awesome to seal the envelope with a letter I wrote in mid-March and drop it off with a secretary. I just wanted to dance in the hallway…”Remember my name. I’m gonna live forever. I’m gonna learn how to fly. HIGH”. Irene Cara is a GENUIS. Alright, not really, because I am pretty sure she only wrote the Flashdance and Fame theme songs, and they are pretty much the same, but they have been playing in my head on repeat for a few weeks. If you can not tell, “I’m sooo excited”…oh, another good song for this moment. This whole experience is proof that I heart the 80s. Really. I know, it is sad, but you know what?!
I GOT A NEW JOB!!
"Remember, remember, remember, remember, remember…"

p.s. -- If you haven't seen the movie or watched the old show, the videos will not make sense. Not to mention...go to Blockbuster or dial up the NetFlicks ASAP. You are missing out!

Funny because it is true

Ah...that smell is in the air. All over the country, school age children are "gearing up" for standardized tests. The senior students are finally done with their SATs and state mandates. Thus, the younger ones are left to begin their rounds. Given the season, I found this online and thought it was too true.

For more interesting facts, please go here.

Happy Birthday Tis!!

I want you to know that I think of you each and every day. You were always such a good friend to everyone you met, and such an amazing person. I miss laughing so hard we just silently shake until we lurch back to try and catch our breath. I miss making those crazy videos with your sister’s cat attacking small towns as if they were Japanese mega films. I miss the fact that every time you saw one of us cry your instinct was to cry with us. Then we just giggled because at that point no one knew what we were crying about in the first place.
There are so many selfish reasons why I wish you were still here. I wish you were here to share a drink with and swap job stories after a long day. I wish you were here to take a dance class with me. I wish you were here because you were the only friend that was always there for me. No matter what. But most of all, I wish you were here to touch all of those kids lives. All of those kindergarteners that you wanted so badly to teach. You would have been so good at it, Tis! I only hope I am half as good at my job as I know you would have been at yours. Despite the fact that those kids never got to know you, do know that you touched each one of us. Every person you ever came in contact with is affected by you. Your kindness and strength guides me and encourages me to be better in life. Cheers to you! Miss you!

Reason 572 & 573 to stop

I have this “favorite” aunt and uncle that I just adore. I, like most people, have a CRAZY family. Despite all of the weirdos, I have this one aunt and uncle that are just the greatest. I love when they visit and just hang out with us down here in the south. They are really straight forward, kind, salt-of-the-Earth type people. Both of them would literally take the shirt off their back in a blizzard if you looked cold enough. Like most in their generation, they grew up drinking hard liquor and smoking like chimneys. We thought that my aunt would stop all of that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago, but no. NOPE! She went through chemo, a mastectomy, a complete rebuild of her ankles, and back to her smoking and drinking.
Well, it has caught up to her. She went into the hospital about a week ago with a rapid heart beat and shortness of breath. Two days later she had a pace maker put in and seemed to be doing fine. Then she took a turn. Last I heard was Saturday and she was still in the hospital. They say it is her “lifestyle”. I guess that is what years of tar and booze will do to you, but it is like the old question…why do such good people have such crap handed to them sometimes? I really think it just sucks. (I know that is not the "actual" question, but you get the point.) The silver lining is that she is just crazy enough to see it all as an adventure. She just goes with the flow (for the most part). Not to say that she doesn’t get scared and panicked, but she still laughs and plays dice and sends me strange emails.
Hopefully she will be home soon. She has a grandbaby to spoil.