It's summer!!! But....

I'm headed to work this morning. :-( I have to finish checking out. I was out for four days the week before last then our textbook person got sick last Thursday, so I never got to check in my textbooks.

Valerie has to work on the yearbook supplement today, so I'm hitching a ride with her--maybe our last time to ride to work together. She is changing jobs and won't be commuting anymore. I have applied for several English teaching jobs in Houston, but if I don't get one of those, I will be commuting alone, which I haven't done for over 2 years. I hope I get a closer job because I'm not sure my car can take that much commuting anymore.

Anyway, Valerie just called and is on her way. Gotta go. Later.

A Beautiful Surprise

I returned to work on Friday. It was the fist day of semester exams for seniors, so I felt like I had to be there to give them their exam. During second period, a young man who works in the office walked in with this gorgeous arrangement of flowers. I asked him who the flowers were for, and he said me. I told him that he must be wrong because I never get flowers at school. He assured me they were mine and handed them to me. I checked the card, and it had my name on it. I coudn't imagine who had sent me flowers. I opened the card and was completely surprised to see the names of all the students (4 boys) in one of my classes.

I have had this really small class all year, and this semester it has consisted most days of four boys. There are only eight on the roll, more boys, but three have never attended and one stopped coming halfway through the semester.

I think they were afraid that they were going to be in trouble for playing on my computer, which they knew was a no-no, but they substitute allowed them to do. If they sent me the flowers to get out of trouble, IT WORKED! :-) Sometimes, I love being a teacher.

Waiting

It's rather a weird coincidence to lose my father on Mother's Day, but it is not ironic, though some who don't really understand the meaning of irony would say it is. Think 90s pop hit "Isn't it Ironic?" and the answer is NO! :-)

Since my sister called me with the sad news early Sunday morning, I have spent much time waiting. Because of work needs, laundry needs, and procrastination (always), I waited until Monday morning to drive to my hometown in East Texas. Once I arrived, we waited for another sister to arrive at the funeral home so we could make the arrangements. Last night, I waited until I couldn't wait any longer to leave my brother's to go to my sister's to sleep. This morning, I waited until 9:00 to get off the computer that I had been on since before 7:00 and get ready to go make decisions on a casket spray this morning. Now, I am waiting for my sister to decide to drive to a nearby town to do some shopping. Oddly enough, I'm also waiting to feel mournful about my dad's passing. An old friend called me yesterday to offer his condolences, and I told him that I was okay because Dad had not been well for a while, and I really am okay. Still I should feel sadder. Shouldn't I?

Anyway, we finished making the arrangements this morning, and now we have to wait for another twenty-four hours to pass before the visitation, then another night spent waiting for the funeral on Thursday morning. Right now, I'm feeling just a bit impatient. If work wasn't four hours away, I might have gone to work today. I am doing a bit of work now. Between blogging thoughts, I'm grading some papers that I have procrastinated (again, always) on too long.

Mostly, though, I am waiting on the eulogy muse to strike me. I volunteered to write my dad's eulogy. I wrote my mom's when she died a few years ago, but I didn't read it at the service. This time, I volunteered to read what I write, and I want to write something good. So, I'm waiting and hoping the muse strikes soon and with force.

I guess I should try to grade some more papers now. Since most of tomorrow will be spent waiting, I'm sure that I will blog some more later.