Random Things from This Week

The weather has been weird all winter. One day we'd have temperatures in the 70s, the next they'd plummet to the 20s. After one false alarm, we finally got a good snow on Friday. We didn't even get a full snow day out of it, though I was told at 7:26 a.m. that we'd leave at 12:00. Why'd I have to get out of bed for that?

The Book Thief is a beautiful story, though you wouldn't think it would be. The narrator is Death, and his use of language is very circular and lovely. In my life I've only cried at one other book, but I sobbed when reading this one. It's gorgeous.

For once in my life I seem to have way more money than I know what to do with. How'd that happen? Even after stowing some safely away in savings, I'm still way ahead. I feel certain that I must have forgotten to pay someone for something, but my bank account says otherwise. It's almost scary.

We had two great rehearsals this week. This is something that is also a little bit frightening. I say, "Have ____ memorized by Monday," and they have it almost down by Thursday! This must be what it's like to work with professionals.

My fourth period class continues to be the devil. They are the epitome of all the reasons why good teachers quit and go to less stressful jobs such as Prison Guard and Iraqi Spy. BUT! I wrote letters to their parents to explain why they are failing this quarter (complete with detailed progress reports) and to urge them to put the little demons darlings in detention to make up all the work they didn't do in class. I feel like the tide is turning. And, as a friend reminded me, there are only nine more weeks to go.

I have bus duty this week, and that means getting up earlier than usual. This, on top of the time change, will result in a pretty crappy Monday.

I'm lost, now that my English class has finished Romeo and Juliet. AND LOVED IT, thank you very much. That is one thing that I can teach very well, probably because it won't come up on their Giant Scary Test. Bah.

My sidebar books list continues to grow. I'm trying to average out at about a book a week. So far I'm ahead, yay! To be fair, I have spent the weekend reading some trashy romances. Well, we all need a vacation sometimes.