Monday, January 4, 2010

and so it begins

Back to school, back to work, back to stalking jobs. I wasn't terribly optimistic about finding anything but I was sort of OK with that since all the ornaments are still up and the afternoons and evenings are crazy this week, but as I was sitting this morning and reading through Facebook, someone posted a status about not wanting to be a teacher today because of all the kids being so sad to be back.

This made me think, well, I wish *I* could have been a teacher today, and also made me glance over at the laptop, and lo and behold, there was an afternoon job posted! So I snatched that up and while I was there I got a call that the teacher of my special ed friends will be out tomorrow morning, so I took that one as well. And I have the half day next week already, so I will have a full day and a half of pay in my next check, even if nothing else comes up! Wahoo!

The job was fifth grade and it wasn't too bad except they got really chatty after the teacher bragged about what a great class they were, but that's pretty typical. They test you, and I didn't want to be the evil sub because there were a couple of Megan's friends' little brothers in there! So it was OK, they just had some math that was an awful lot to fit into the time we were allocated, and without knowing exactly how this teacher normally does the lessons followed by the worksheets, I don't know if I timed it poorly or if it really was just too much. But it went quickly.

The only problem was that my phone rang when I first got there and sat down, after we were out for recess. It rang three times! And then it said I had three messages! I was in a panic, because it was two hours before I could check them although I knew one was the Doll. The other two weren't numbers I knew. Turned out to be an old message - so maybe Kevin called and didn't leave one, his office comes up as unavailable - and the teacher from the other school saying she was posting the job for tomorrow. When I finally got that one at 3:10, I had to call Kevin to try to snatch it up for me, and luckily it was still there. It's only a half day, as I said, but I prefer the bird-in-hand approach to subbing these days!

I got home in time to take Brian to his appointment, and since I wasn't able to get out for groceries this morning (I had to be a slave to our malfunctioning boiler and heating system, which Kevin noticed wasn't heating the downstairs as effectively as the upstairs) I took him to Panera for his beloved bread bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. He hasn't been eating well lately, but he never fails to devour this meal. And I brought some home for Megan - chicken soup for her returned cold and a chicken caesar salad for after practice.

She did quite well at her meet this afternoon, swimming two pretty impressive times for not having a lot of competition. Although she did have someone in the 200, which she said pushed her out faster and brought her to a better time overall, only three seconds off her best time ever, and done after the week of doubles and with a cold. So not too shabby of a performance. I wasn't there, of course, I was at the orthodontist's office! So those will be her seed times for the county meet in two weeks.

As for Brian, he seems to have cheered up a bit. He played in his tennis tournament on Sunday and came in 3rd of seven this time. Then last night, I got an email back from the biology teacher saying that Brian had promised him that he would turn in his lab and hadn't yet. So of course this got Brian in a spot of trouble, and I told him how embarassing this is, because here he had two weeks and he said he hadn't done it, and then he found it in the binder in his room and was up till midnight doing it.

Then I received an email this morning from the teacher: correction: Brian's lab was in a pile of papers that I left on my desk over the break. (He got a 90 on the lab AFTER the deduction of ten points for lateness) Why Brian had a blank and seemingly untouched copy in his binder I do not even want to know.

Another way for Brian to bring up his biology grade is to read an outside reading book, which the teacher supplies each marking period for this purpose. Students can take a test and/or write a paper for extra points added to their grade. Brian failed to do so last MP, but this time he is going for it. The book? The Hot Zone: A Frightening True Story. The topic? The Ebola virus. Yep .. in case you were not frightened enough of death, now you can learn about this truly horrendous painful incurable deadly illness. What timing! Sort of makes Nostradamus sound a little like Walt Disney!

Anyway, in other news, James and the Doll were here last night for dinner. That turned out to be our best solution to the problem, and he brought over a very tasty stew that he had made in the crock pot, and they picked up some chicken and mac-n-cheese as well, and a pumpkin pie. So they brought everything to us and we did nothing! (well, we had a salad ready) Not a bad deal. We'll see, maybe we can return the favor another night. He goes back on Thursday - the only possibility is Wednesday night. She will probably not want to share him on his last night, as she didn't on his first.

Otherwise, that's about all that's going on. I expect this to be a busy week with my odd jobs and all that I have backed up in the house. Cleaning people are due Thursday, too. And Brian is still awaiting the return of that little notebook computer we got him for his birthday three months ago, that already broke. I hope they have at least finished the work on it. Dude. Shoulda got a Dell!

No comments: