Letter to C.

[My friend C. is currently out of reach via e-mail or phone, but likes me to amuse him with details from my day. If it coincidentally amuses any of the rest of my readers, BONUS!]

Dear C.,

Sara is still playing pranks on me using disembodied Cabbage Patch heads. They keep appearing in places meant to startle and annoy. She got me good last night. I turned on the shower and when I pulled the curtain shut, this doll head flew out of the curtain and into the tub. Point for Sara. Of course, the doll head was still soaking wet (also drippy and very cold) when I threw it into bed with her at 7 AM. Point for me.

I was distracted at work, but not too much. However, I need to remember that if my pen won't write, the thing to do is not to wriggle my mouse. Doesn't help.

Looks like I really am going to San Luis Obispo in June. Just gotta fill out a bunch of forms, get a check-up (oh, for Pete's sake!), etc... and I will get to partake in the joy of driving a bunch of 12-year-old girls to California. 5 days! Should be great if I can strap a few of the girls on the roof.

You will be gratified to know that you are not the only one who is shocked at how little I sleep. One of our students, Maria M. confronted me this evening while I was rootling for a test form in a cupboard. (Actually three different students needed something during that rootle. I kept coming back to it and thinking, "Now, why am I here?"). Maria lives across the street. The all-seeing eye... "TEACHER! What time you leave the school Tuesday!? You last person leave?" "Uh, well, yeah..." "Is very late! I see in my window! I watching make sure you safe!" "Thanks, Maria. I know you are there. It makes me feel safe." "Tonight, you go HOME! Go BED!"

Otherwise, it was a pretty ordinary work day.

Queen Jodi the school cook tried to feed me her chipped beef-zucchini sandwich. I like getting fed, but the chipped beef-zucchini sandwich defeats me.

The third graders were in charge of taking the flag down at the end of the day. They paused after folding it into its lengthwise strip to jump rope with it. Only would have amused me more if Orrin Hatch had been here.

My students came to find me during class to discuss some childbirth vocabulary. "Teacher, is it 'due-date'? Or 'do-date'?" True, they both make sense.

And why is it that, if all the teachers are professional people who have worked with Southeast Asians for many years, we still have so much "ssnnnnrrrrkk" going on when a student says her name is "Ho"?

Juan, the custodian has just come in to vacuum. In the interest of seven hour of sleep, I should get moving.

Hope you had a good day: that you remembered to click your clicker; that you had plenty of cheap whisky in your tea; and that you got the snow cleaned out of your car. I never asked you why you had your sun roof open in the first place...

Take care!
Kate