TGIF

So, another week down. Why is it that the longest weeks are always the short weeks? When there's a holiday mid-week, I always anticipate a fast week, but it always seems to drag by. This has just been a long week for some reason. Today I only have to work a half day in the afternoon, standard Friday for me, it seems.

The other night I got a call from yet another sub caller. It seems the replacement for the original has had enough. She quit already. So I finally got 'in' with her where she was calling because she knew I'd go in and cause her no trouble (well, except for the time she didn't put me on the list when I was supposed to be there) and now I don't know what will happen, and with the holidays often being so busy, I don't even know where to call to let them know I want to work! So for now, today is the last day I have lined up. At least I have a good couple of weeks of pay coming in, in time for Christmas shopping.

The big news in town is the opening of a new premium outlet center. E is most excited and keeps begging me to take her. I told her we would go on Sunday, but she's afraid everything will be sold before she gets there. As a joke, this morning in the car I offered to drop her off tomorrow at 11 am before Megan's swim meet and then pick her up at 6, after Brian's. She didn't really laugh. I think it seemed perfectly logical to her. I don't doubt that she could use that time, and was only half-joking, in fact. I am also excited to go. I'm just afraid it's going to be really crowded there this weekend. The economic downturn doesn't seem to have hit our area so much just yet.

Meanwhile, Brian received a postcard with his room assignment for the Catholic Schools Entrance Exam that he is taking tomorrow. Or should I say, 'Brianne' received her card. I'm wavering on this school because I've heard a couple of things that lead me to believe it may not be much different from the public school in terms of cliques and drugs/drinking. A stupid mistake like that one also makes me think they have incompetent staffers. I'll probably run an application over to the smaller school today, just so they will have it on file before he takes the test. I already missed their deadline of November 7, but I don't think it will matter. They take up to 125 freshmen, and I have a feeling they don't usually get that many applicants per year.

Our meeting with his guidance counselor went pretty well, I don't think I posted on that. We told him about how he gets picked on, about the blackout episode, and about the gum in the hood. The counselor was sympathetic and agreed that in Brian's case, a fresh start might do him good. He actually wanted to intervene but we said no, Brian doesn't want to name any names and that wouldn't help him in the long run anyway. We just wanted him to understand why we have all these applications in for the other schools. Yesterday was the last day of the marking period, so grades will be due in a week or two and report cards come out on the 25th. After that, they submit the grades to all the high schools. At that point, we'll have a better idea if Brian actually is improving in school or if it's been a smoke-and-mirrors act up till now.

In other news, Megan and E both have a big chemistry test today and neither one of them studied much. They are both confident, but that worries me. This seems like the type of teacher who lulls them into a false sense of security and then writes a test to trip them up at the last minute. But I guess we will find out soon enough. I have finally gotten rid of those 637 directories, but the post office made a mistake and undercharged, which has resulted in a comedy of errors and another project that won't quite go away. Oh, and I received an email that the Fresh Air Fund was looking for local area volunteers, and I sent an reply and may be taking that on in the spring. It sounds like a fun and good thing to do, but I am nervous about having to go into people's houses alone to interview them as prospective host families. I have little faith in humanity, I guess. I'm afraid.