The work week... we all know it well...

 You hope your work week goes like the first sculpture... serene, peaceful, plenty of time to get everything done...  however, as we all know... it usually goes more like the last photo.   Counting the days/hours/and thinking... Another MEETING?

Ollie, Ollie, Oxen... come out, come out from wherever you are...

I have lost some very IMPORTANT paperwork. I need it to file a claim (duplicates aren't available or allowed) from when my household goods were damaged when I got my stuff out of storage.

I usually don't bother with filing these claims because:

1. It's a PAIN to do them.

2. It's especially a PAIN to do them, when you are as 'form filling out & paperwork' deficient as I am.

3. They depreciate the claims so much; that you get almost nothing for the process of filling them out and filing them.

4. Did I mention that I don't like doing paperwork?

I work as a teacher and for the US Government... both jobs are full of paperwork and you add in the fact that I am a 'teacher' for the US GOVERNMENT... well, I'll let you think about how much MORE MY LIFE is full of paperwork than it should be.

I know exactly where these papers were until SPRING BREAK in mid-April. Yes, you heard it here... I got on a 'cleaning' and sorting paperwork plan... (so, I could file the above mentioned missing paperwork).... and for some crazy reason, I decided that they would NO LONGER be appropriate to stay in the living room on the little footstool hidden on one side of the coffee table... WHERE NO ONE could see them.

THEY were not in the way. Oh no, they had just sat there for months, patiently waiting for me to get in the MOOD and find some TIME to do the paperwork.

Sigh, it is NO ONE'S FAULT by my own. No pets, no kids, no one else living in the house but myself.

Yes, I have this problem because I delayed doing the 'dreaded' paperwork, I was sick, I had other things FAR MORE INTERESTING to DO... and simply because, I didn't want to do the paperwork.

SO, now ... the plan is: TO LOOK FOR THE MISSING PAPERWORK everyday when I get home from work.

I have until June 16th. I will have to turn the paperwork in on JUNE 17th at the latest.

Maybe I should 'ground' myself? Send myself to bed early?

It's been one of those days...

Sigh.. sigh... sigh... Last day of school is June 12 and I can't wait.

I teach art to 700 students per week. We have a full schedule; as a matter of fact we have 31 classes that we teach each week in a 30 class schedule. How do we do have this ability to teach an extra class where no extra period is available? One class doesn't come to our classes at all- instead 4-6 of her students are divided each day to go to different specials. Art, Music, PE, and Host Nation. So, as a result.. we teach much larger class sizes for that particular grade level.

Yesterday, I got an email from one of the classroom teachers.. informing me that she was going to come to art at a different time.. (in a morning 2nd grade time slot instead of her own scheduled time slot in the late afternoon ) because she was going to be gone on a 1/2 day field trip and as a result would miss getting a planning period. Not a big problem, but.. wouldn't it have been nice to ask me if it was this change was OK with me.. instead of just telling me that you are doing it? I know for a fact that she wouldn't like her schedule changed around without her permission. I mean common sense tells you to ask about it, right?

I sent an email to both principals today... explaining that this is going on and to please put a stop to it- before other grades start doing this in the future. At all of the other schools that I've been to- if you miss because of an activity or whatever.. you MISS. There is no changing around of the schedule. Sigh

Soon, the 'schedule changing teacher' emails me.. and tries to make it that "I'M THE ONE WITH THE PROBLEM.. that she didn't know that this would cause me such STRESS and be SUCH A BURDEN for me. (please) Double sigh.. I again stated.. that it would have been nice to clear it with me- instead of 'just changing my schedule' and then tell me about it after the fact. On and on... I got a few emails from her.. about this.. on and on... Never once understanding that it is not OK to change someone's schedule to suit your needs and then just tell them about it. *There's more to this story- but, I won't go into it here.

I really like the location where I am... but, there are many factors like this that make the job not so good. I have never seen such petty 'minute counting' and division. We large group specialists just seem to be at the bottom of the list of importance too. It's sad really- since, it was a brand new formed school in a brand new building... such hope and promise. I have very little art materials to work with- the least that I've ever had at any school. My supplies came from a school that closed and I'm not sure what happened- but, apparently most didn't make it to me or maybe some of it was thrown away? I've done the best that I can with limited supplies.


Anyway, I know that my readers... must be ready for one of my lighthearted stories instead? I know that I am.

Today, I was on my daily 20 minute playground duty (all large group specialists have to do this- don't get me started on why this isn't fair for us only to do- when small group specialists don't have to help do this or even rotate into this schedule)

anyway... this little girl (2nd grade) comes up to me sobbing... "See those boys running away?" I nod yes. She then proceeds to tell me that they are trying to crush her snail. I said, "A toy snail?" She sobbed.. "No..." I then asked what kind of snail it was. She continued to sob, face all scrunched... "I found it on the ground at my house and I had it in my pocket."

Yes.. eeeooow.. she had one of those nasty garden snails that eat my flowers in her pocket! I suggested that she keep the snail in her pocket until she got home, so no one would know that she had a snail. ... so, it would be safe. At least they are loved by someone.

Just another day on the playground.

IS running into a detour and not knowing how to get to work

any other way... an valid excuse to miss work?

Ring, ring... (pretending that I have my cell phone charged, with me, and have put in my work phone number)

"Hello work?" "Yes, this is: iwouldratherbeknitting.... and I was on my way to work and saw this sign in German... you do remember that I can't read German, right?"

"Well, I finally figured out that the word must have meant DETOUR." "Oh, no.. I'm a pretty quick study.. the road lane barrier was a dead give away." "Ok, the second road lane barrier was the dead give away."

"ANYWAY, this UNEXPECTED detour in the early morning darkness... on a major road- blocked off the ONLY TWO ways that I know how to get to work."

"I just wanted you to know that I don't know where I am... but, I hope that I'm not on the CEZCH border." "No, I don't think that I've gone as far as Northern Italy- I don't see the Italian Alps anywhere." "Yes, if I get as far as Italy.. I will buy a wheel of real parmesan cheese and we'll split it."

"Oh, wait.. my cell phone is dying... I hope that I'll be at work tomorrow... if I can make it home that is. And, my sub plans are........."

Call the cops.. I think someone stole my snowman..

Now, I realize that 'that' statement isn't one that you expect to hear in 'oh, I don't know.. the month of JUNE??'


Yes, I do know that winter is long gone... and I know that this cute little snowman that I adored and hauled all the way home on 2 subway transfers... (along w/ the other stuff that I bought) should have been put up long, long ago... but, he was just so cute greeting me at the door when I came home and the fact that I'd forget about him after I walked into the apartment has no bearing whatsoever on forgetting to bring him indoors. Nope, none at all.


Even if he did contrast badly with the spring tulips hanging in a basket on my door.. Hey, who says you can't straddle two seasons at once... "OK, 3 seasons at once."

But, anyway... I came home and he was no longer standing guard in his corner... I'm not happy about it...



But, then again... maybe one of my two Korean neighbors (who do not speak English or to me at all) took it... because, it grated on their last nerve one time too many as they stood waiting for the elevator? AND, maybe they thought that I had already moved out and left it behind? After all, the delivery truck did pick up my storage items yesterday???

Either that... or my snowman ran away to the Swiss Alps where there is snow year round? Maybe it finally got so hot that he melted? Or in my staying up too late doing endless, endless things for packing... and it's to the point that I don't know what I'm doing... and I forgot that I brought my snowman in the apartment last night?? *Truthfully, I don't think it's that- I've been putting all the holiday stuff in the guest bathroom (in the tub out of the way) and he is not there... I've looked 3x in the past 15 minutes... hoping, that he'd be there. And another clue? My snowman mat and the tulip flower basket was still on the door. Le sigh...

What I think is that one of my 2 neighbors took the snowman... saw the movers yesterday and maybe they just thought that I had moved out??? And, thought he was up for grabs.


So, I did the only thing that someone who speaks only English could do to put up a 'lost and found' poster for a missing (and maybe sort of stolen) snowman for the neighbors that only speak Korean...


I was just reminded that I had bought other cute little stuffed snowmen (wreath, free standing snowman very much like this little guy) etc. were stolen by workers at the storage facility when I moved to Italy 4 years ago. Sigh..


Which reminds me... it's time to start doing more stuff... the movers come in 14 hours.... sigh.. (it' might be an all nighter folks)