one week out

Virtual school starts a week from tomorrow! 

 I have a vague feeling that I should be doing something right now, but I don't want to, so I'm not. Tomorrow the only thing we have scheduled is a virtual training on a new resource, and I'm sure a jillion other things will pop up, too. I'll get to it tomorrow. 

 Last week was exhausting simply because I went into school every day. Five days in a row! Amazing. There have been so many staff changes my head is spinning a bit, but we all seem to be getting on well as we prepare for this strange new hybrid schooling we'll be delivering. Perhaps I am being foolish but at this point I feel like I've done enough teaching so that the excitement of getting back to school and working with my students is overcoming my dread of having to do it via technology. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm ready right at this moment, but I do think I will be ready by the time school starts on August 17. 

 I'm hopeful that eventually everyone will regain their sanity and things can get back to normal.

 The other thing that starts a week from tomorrow? DS2's boot camp in South Carolina. He has some last minute stuff to get done before he can take the oath, and I'll feel a lot better about things once that is accomplished. As of right now, we have no idea when he's actually leaving, but since he's supposed to be at boot first thing Monday morning, we're assuming he's leaving some time before then. 

 How odd that my littlest is going the farthest away, and for the longest time. When his tour is over he'll be 25 years old, and I'll be only 2 years from retiring. Suddenly time seems to be going by much more quickly!

57 plus

Spent most of my birthday helping my new colleague getting her classroom in order and downloading my brain about all the stuff that will be helpful for her to know.  She is coming from the same school I worked at, so we compared war stories while we moved boxes of books and basically put things away.  Tomorrow (later today, really) is our "Nitty Gritty" day -- long meetings where we go over a thousand and one things.  My heart goes out to all the new teachers everywhere!

My own classroom is in not-bad shape but I still haven't set up my museum or tidied my bookcases.  I may or may not bother.  Parents and students will be popping in at pre-arranged times for a very abbreviated Meet the Teacher with the social distancing, so the room needs to look good. But since no one will be allowed to linger, I'm not going to sweat the details too much.

I also did an inordinate amount of running around today both before school (dropping off our ballots, searching for bulletin board fabric) and after (assembling my birthday dinner).  Dinner was great but of course too much, and then I indulged myself by watching the most recent Pride & Prejudice movie, newly returned to Netflix.  I appreciate being able to fast forward through the most embarrassing scenes with Mrs. Bennett & company.

After that I think I fell asleep for a couple of hours and now here I am.  Tomorrow is my official first day of work and I really should be in bed but as usual I am doing this sort-of sabotage thing.  I'll survive.  I don't feel like I'm 57 years old, but I suppose I don't know what it's supposed to feel like.  Two of my colleagues wished me happy birthday today and I told them "57!" and they both told me I'm about the same age as their moms.  Didn't surprise me, and didn't bother me, either.

I wouldn't give back any of my years because they made me who I am now, still a work in progress but at least I think I'm going in the right direction. Most of the time, anyway.