Archive for October, 2005
Goofiness
Saturday, October 8th, 2005More adventures!
Friday, October 7th, 2005Adventure One
So last night was Back to School Night at the high school. This being my fourth year doing this I know that if you don’t get there very early you have to park far, far away and walk over a highway overpass and through weeds to get there. So I left my house with plenty of time to spare.
And realized I had no gas.
So I pulled into the gas station right up the street, and it figures that the ONE time I’ve had a problem with the “NJ Just Say No to Pumping Your Own Gas” law was last night, the attendant was apparently having an issue with another driver. I left and headed to another gas station, where I was taken care of promptly but which meant I had to get to the school via a diferent, slightly longer route. But I was still ok time-wise.
Until I hit a huge branch.
As I came over a hill there was a very large branch across the road in front of me, and cars coming toward me in the other lane. Couldn’t stop in time, couldn’t swerve to avoid, so I ran over it. At first I thought all was well but then I started to feel a distinct clunk clunk and I was sure I had a flat. I slowed down, pulled over… and no flat. In fact no sign of problems. But to be safe I decided to just head home. Sure enough, as soon as I started driving, the clunk clunk was gone- I figure I must’ve had a part of the branch caught but it freed itself as I was slowing to stop. So I spun back around and went to the HS. But by this time I was hopelessly late to get a place to park,
So I parked on the other side of the overpass, hacked my way through the weeds, and made it to the classroom just as “announcements” were finishing up. And no, I did not stop my fast paced walk during the pledge of allegience, but in my head my hand was over my heart and I was standing still.
Adventure Two
This one was a piece of cake. Help get 100+ second graders to (yet another) overpass so they could watch as a water sample was taken from the local brook. The school sends in the readings to some environmental study team, and this is a walk taken every year by our 2nd and 3rd graders. It’s not far, but it involves crossing a very busy intersection.
The police had been asked to help out, but they were nowhere to be found. Fortunately a quarter-mile long line of little kids is enough to stop traffic on its own. A large contingent of parents had come along, and a few local business people helped us out as well. By the time we were headed back the police had arrived, but the kids were pretty hyper, so it was a little harder to keep them along the thin path that kept them out of the road on one side and out of the poison ivy on the other.
But all survived. And let me say here for the record that this class has the friendliest, most involved group of parents (moms & dads) I’ve ever come across.
Adventures in High School
Thursday, October 6th, 2005Gee, I guess I am the only one who worries about such things as going to the principal’s office at age 42! All is well, but it wasn’t exactly uneventful.
First I called the school, and I was advised to drop off the flyer at the main office. The principal would let me know if it’s approved. So I drove over there, couldn’t find a place to park, and went shopping. After shopping I went back to the school and found a place to park. At the main office I’m told to bring the flyer to the principal’s temporary space in the library. I asked the shortest way to the library- she said “drive”. So I drove around to the back building, parked and made my way to the library. In there I’m told, oh, the principal moved out today, his secretary just finished packing everything up! So where did he move to? Room 16. And where is room 16? Right inside the other door, the one I’d been parked near earlier… so I just walked back over there, where I found two flustered appearing women. They told me the principal’s stuff had just arrived, but they hadn’t seen him. They’d page him… but they had no phones. It was suggested I go back to the main office with my little flyer.
So I did. I asked if there was anyone who could take my flyer and somehow get it to the principal for approval- when someone said “hey, there’s his secretary!” So I raced out of the office and chased down this woman who must’ve thought I was insane. I explained what I needed, she took my flyer, and promised me a call as soon as he was out of a meeting (that was apparently why no one knew where he was- he was in a meeting.) Sure enough a few hours later I got a message that the flyer was approved.
Of course, after all that I didn’t have the nerve to go back and try to find the copier! So I made copies on my own, and all is well.
And the funny thing is- all of that was the good part of my day yesterday!
Silly things that freak me out
Tuesday, October 4th, 2005Am I the only one who gets slightly panicked over silly things? I need to have a flyer approved by the principal and copies made at the HS tomorrow. Despite the fact that my son is a senior I have never been to the principal’s office, I don’t even know where it is! And with all the construction going on up there the main business office keeps moving so I don’t even know where the copier is, let alone how to use it, and I hate to bug the folks working there to help me (although in my experience everyone has been very nice…)
I could have gotten out of it because someone else was willing to take care of it, but really. I need to get over stupid things like this. I can’t believe I’m even posting this, what a baby I am :D!