Little Friday

I'm not a big partier, so perhaps I can be forgiven for only just hearing that Thursday has a nickname. Even without going out, I see how it makes sense: the promise of time off just one day away makes many things seem not just possible, but even do-able. In fact, I just worked until 5:30, came home and spent an hour and a half in the kitchen not only cooking dinner, but also cleaning and prepping for the weekend ahead which starts in 19 hours and change.

But now it's late, and I'm tired.

TGILF!

Cold Is as Cold Does

Usually, when the temperature is below 32 degrees,  the kids at our school are encouraged to come inside as they arrive to wait in the warm building for the beginning of the day. After a couple of weeks of weather in the teens, though, this morning was a balmy 30, and hundreds of students waited for the bell outside with open coats. Whether preoccupied with their devices, chatting with friends, or playing football and basketball, they were apparently not bothered by the sub-freezing temperature, and tomorrow? When it hits 50? Some will even wear shorts.

And I might leave my mittens at home.

Frame of Mind

There have been about 80 school days so far this year, and as I spent the day moving from table to table, sitting with the kids, and helping them with their essay revisions or online grammar practice, I realized that I kinda like this group! We have adjusted nicely to each other's personalities and expectations, and even the most annoying of us is hardly more than a tad aggravating.

Oh, it might be the extra hours of sleep I got this morning because of the black ice talking, or it could be the predicted 60 degree weather at the end of the week that has warmed my heart, but I prefer to think the remaining 100 days are going to be lovely!

Get off the Pot!

Word came down around 10 AM that school was closing early due to the predicted sleet and ice. And the students...

lost
their
minds!

No matter that the sun was still shining and we were still in session for another 2 1/2 hours; very little was accomplished.

Oh, well. There's always tomorrow. Unless the icy conditions prevail and we have a delay.

Sunday No Funday

55 years in, and guess what? I am still a procrastinator.

As a teacher, I've kind of been able to work around it, since I make the deadlines and all. Of course, there are quarter grades to be submitted, but again, I have a lot of control over those details. But now and again, that old devil comes back to bother me, and that is how I spent my day on the couch updating the online course I'm teaching that starts tomorrow.

Oh, I've known that, since our district has switched Learning Management Systems this year, some serious revision would be required, but man! I just wasn't feeling it. Until today, when the painful reality was quite present.

But, it's done! Which really? Is a huge improvement. I mean, I never even considered pulling an all nighter.

In Sync

We had a little family dinner tonight in honor of what would have been my dad's 83rd birthday and my sister-in-law's mom, Judy's 81st. Although they never met, I dare say the two of them would have relished the festivities had they been here-- the food was simple and a little old school, prepared with a few of their favorites in mind, and we drank a toast to each before digging in.

Afterwards we enjoyed coffee and dessert by the fireplace and played one of the Christmas games. Think n Sync consists of a box of cards, each with a general category and four more specific questions. For example, Vegetables: Name an orange vegetable, Name a vegetable you put in salad, and so forth. The challenge is, after a countdown of 3, 2, 1, to say the exact same thing as your partner does.

It's a simple concept, but surprisingly revealing and a little profound when it comes to thought process, strategies, social skills, and relationships. Should you say what you think, or what you think your partner thinks, or what you think your partner thinks you think? Do spouses have an advantage? What about siblings? Parents and kids? Cousins? If so, is that fair? If not, does that mean something?

Oh, our game was rather low stakes; we didn't even keep score, and that was probably a good idea, because everyone had fun, no matter what ridiculous answer their partner gave. I think Bob and Judy would have gotten a kick out of it, too.

Happy Birthday, guys!

Polar Vortex Indeed

I like to think of myself as a person who is not bothered by the cold, one who dresses appropriately and then heads out, undaunted, (gleeful, even) into the elements.

Which is exactly what I did this morning to go to school-- I was all bundled up in wool socks, boots, jeans, turtleneck, fleece-lined flannel shirt, scarf, heavy coat, gloves, and even sunglasses to protect my eyes from the icy wind and glare. BUT, in the walk from the remote parking lot to the building, the howling wind froze my ears and nose and cheeks, figuratively, and the coffee on the top of my cup lid literally.

Whoa.