Monday, August 07, 2006

That time of year

It's that time of year; the time when I review the summer months, and realize I didn't do a god damn motherfucking thing. Somehow, "that time of year" always coincides with "that time of the month." Funny that.

Anywho'syourdaddy, I have exactly 3 days left of summer vacation. Three. This Thursday and Friday we have our big faculty planning meetings when we discuss our school wide "DRSLs" (Desired results for student learning), and size up the new faculty members, and brag or (in my case) lie about all the shit we did this summer. Then I get a weekend to sweat and stew. Then, on Monday, all the teachers in the district get to sit in an auditorium and first listen to the superintendent give an inspirational-as-ass speech and then get all fired up as he and the district office staff huck the new inspirational t-shirts out to us stadium style while "We Will Rock You" or some such nonsense crackles through the speakers. After THAT display, we have to sit and listen to some paid education expert and/or inspirational speaker inspire us even further. Then, we plod to our classrooms, and reality hits us, or in my case, bitch slaps me in the face.

I've been going into school a couple hours a day for the last week or so. The thing is, my school is not even a red-headed-step-child. It's the imaginary friend of the red-headed-step-child. We don't have a custodian. We have a sweeper. The sweeper comes in after school, vacuums the floors, gives the bathrooms a lick and a promise, and that's it. Most schools get a total rehaul over the summer. Paint, carpets cleaned, desks scrubbed, white boards whitened, bathrooms sanitized. Kids--I'm not even sure my garbage was taken out on the last day of school. The paint on the outside of the building is peeling off in huge chunks. The toilets are, just, eww. And generally, the place looks like shit.

So today, Janzen, Sophie, and I are going to go and do what we can to clean it up. Well, Janz and I will be cleaning. Sophie will be doing her damnest to make new and improved messes as fast as we can clean them.

Oh, I got sidetracked. Here is the shit I didn't do this summer.

1. Go to yoga. I think I went twice.
2. Exercise. Instead I gained about 10 more pounds.
3. Take Sophie on fun and exciting mommy daughter fieldtrips.
4. Paint the interior walls of my house.
5. Work on my yard.
6. Write.
7. Write a grant for laptops for my classroom.
8. Dejunk my carport.
9. Detail the cars.
10. Anything productive.

What did I do?
Well, I played a shit load of spider solitare. I watched a lot of tv. I read a lot of blogs.

I suck.

8 comments:

amandak said...

You took Sophie on an exciting field trip to Albuquerque, silly! That TOTALLY counts.

Katy said...

You don't suck.

Summers are funny. When school ended last semester I thought "Damn, I have like 4 months to sit back and do precisely shit (except for work)" then I flipped that calendar over and suddenly AUGUST!! It's right there, staring you in the face, and it's all "Ya wanna know what I did this summer? I waited here, for you, just so I could see that look of surprise/depression/ohshitness. THAT'S what I did this summer."

Stupid August.

Melessa Gregg said...

I gained 10 lbs. over the summer too. I also think you've been more productive this summer than you realize-and summer, it's not so much about being productive. Or so I've taught my kids. Shh...don't tell them otherwise.

Froggylady said...

sounds like a good summer vacay to me...productivity is over rated. :)

~A~ said...

Ummmmmm, what about the couple of hikes you took the kids on?

What about the puddle splashing?

Breakfast in the park?

So you didn't go clift jumping but you did what you could at the speed of your shortest pair of legs.

NME said...

I know I'm very late to this game but I wanted to say that summer vacation is supposed to be a relaxing time where you get to spend quality time with Soph - and it sounds like you did just that.

Know you are going to kick ass this school year too - since you ALWAYS kick ass.

Aarwenn said...

I know what you mean, sadly. I do.

But what I've also found is that keeping a blog is the best way to stay honest with yourself about your ups and downs, and THAT is FAR healthier than being in a panic to finish some silly To-Do List!

Also, I agree with ~a~--you have a short pair of legs with you that sets the pace!

cathy said...

it sucks thinking you have to be supermum!!... just being with you is cool...what's more you seem a dedicated teacher ... working with youths can get you down but we have to keep going!