It ain't over until...

...the fat lady sings.

And this fat lady can't sing until she gets her classroom cleaned out.

My contract year officially ended Thursday, but I had taken Monday and Wednesday off so had to come back Friday to clean out my room. It was really a mess. I only "stash and dash" -ed on the last day last year because I had totally had it (a rough year last year). This year I was sick for almost six weeks starting in January and never did catch up. I had three boxes full of papers to be refiled. I will also need some shelf space in the cupboards for union stuff (no, I am not bringing all that crap into my already stuffed-to-overflowing house). And I still hold some faint hope of retiring in the next few years (Thursday was supposed to be my last day. Have I whined about that, yet?)

Anyway, I spent yesterday cleaning and clearing. One of my colleagues was doing the same in her classroom and was pitching stuff her MOTHER had not thrown out when she retired from teaching second grade. Since my oldest is teaching second grade next year, I had to grab all the discards in case there is anything he can use. So, by the end of the day yesterday I was pooped out but somehow had more than I started with.

I'm so good at that.

Wednesday was a wonderful day. I spent the day with my son at his charter school in LA. I've had nightmares about his "inner city" school and was delightfully surprised. Their little school seems to have been embraced by the neighborhood (the taggers leave them alone). The children were wonderful and I was very proud of my son. He did a wonderful job of turning his group into "students." (He had some real behavior challenges this year.) He's told me all year of learning that one kid is the nephew of the neighborhood crack dealer and another they believe is the child of the local pimp and another is scared all the time because his family members keep getting killed. But these sweet, darling kids are simply sweet, darling kids like any you'd meet in any neighborhood in America. In fact, every one of them was more polite and respectful than a growing number of my upper middle class/affluent students here in suburbia. All of his "graduating" students (fifth grade going into middle school) had to give their own graduation speech and one of them bragged that they didn't know double digits before, but Mr. M--- was even able to teach her double digits so now she can do double digits!

Tuesday, June 17

I had to leave the previous entry and am just now getting back. Today was the official first day of summer break because I got my classroom cleaned out yesterday. Of course, I had to spend today going through the car full of boxes that I brought home but that's OK. I got the union tote/notebook/files from five years ago cleaned out and condensed the stuff I brought for my son down to four boxes instead of six. Brought a few things home for my nephew, too. He's ten and obsessed with weaponry of all kinds so I brought home the Civil War and Knights books from my reference collection. Maybe he'll learn something.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view) today was a good day for this kind of chore because the power was out for TEN HOURS. Edison was replacing a huge something or other at the end of the street behind us. We had lots of notice (alth0ugh they said nine hours and actually took ten). DH and I realized just how addicted to electricity we are.

So now the countdown is for a big, fun weekend and our vacation in Utah. Friday I take my dad to Disneyland to see the All American College Band (see YouTube clip above). This is our second visit just to see this amazing group and all Dad and I will do is go ride Soarin' Over California at DCA once, then head to Disneyland to follow this group around all day. I think I've convinced Dad to let me push him in my Mom's wheelchair (he'll be 83 in October and it is getting harder for him to trek the park all day) so he should really enjoy the day.

Saturday is the family's June/July Birthday Bash for my BIL, myself, and my older son as well as Father's Day for my dad. Sunday is my birthday for real and my little solo trip back to Disneyland has become a family trip. I hope they aren't too disappointed. I don't do a whole lot of riding on attractions anymore. Instead, I want to see the Hillbillies, watch the Parade of Dreams then head over to DCA for the Pixar Play Parade. Kind of boring for the others, I'm afraid.

Then Monday we leave for Utah. We're a little nervous because we haven't seen the condo since the great flood and renovations. We expect they did a great job with the repairs but we may find damage to some of the stuff that was stored in the downstairs closet. Oh well. Didn't cause it, couldn't prevent it.

I'm looking forward to a visit to Shepherd's Bush to get fiber for a couple of pieces as well as more Q-Snap frames and some of their new frame covers. Every year that we've headed for Utah I've just missed the Wasatch front quilt shop hop but this year it's a week later and I will be able to catch some of it. I'll have to decide if I want to go to some shops or not. DH is encouraging me but really, I need more fabric like a hole in the head, could save the money for more stitchery stuff and at over $4.00 per gallon, really don't need to spend the gas money, either. I'll see if any of my Utah friends want to go and make the decision when we're up there.

We're looking forward to attending the June 28 Obama-que sponsored by a group called "Mormons and Everyone Else in Utah for Obama." We attended an Anti-Bush rally three years ago in Salt Lake City (called for by then mayor Rocky Anderson) when Bush was there speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We learned that there aren't a lot of Democrats in Utah (about 2,000 at the rally) but they are not wishy washy Dems like here in our town. Really quite refreshing.

The demon dog is still with us until Friday. DH told its owner (when she finally answered the phone) that if she didn't pick it up by Friday he would take it to the pound. It has pissed on my family room carpet, dug a hole in the back yard, carried garbage into the family room and the best one - earned a citation from animal control for barking. DH went out for a couple of hours of errands and locked it in the kennel. It tipped over its water dish so when L--- got home, there was a tag on the doorknob citing him for not putting water in the kennel and for not having a license for the dog. L--- called the number as ordered and explained the situation. My feeling is that the owner really thought L--- would keep her precious darling forever. She has not found a new place that will allow the obnoxious beast. I think L--- should make her come get it and take it to the pound herself since she hasn't found another place (she said two weeks and it's been a month). Oh, well, not my business. BTW, a friend spent three hours with us on Father's Day and commented to L--- on her way out, "That is a nasty little dog."