November 13, 2014 – Wednesday

15 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

I was telling someone yesterday that with the onslaught of cold weather, I’m going to have to tell the yard man it’s time to cover and wrap the roses and remind the handy man to drain the pool down and cover it.

Subbing on Tuesday was pretty good. I had a mixed class of third and fourth graders in the morning and absolutely loved them. The teacher had plenty for them to work on, mostly language arts, something I actually know a bit about, and the munchkins were good kids. We worked and we laughed and in the end, I got a ton of hugs. I like that. When the day comes a school says a child can’t hug me, I’ll simply quit. The pay alone isn’t enough, but a hug from a sincere, innocent, child, helps to fill the spiritual coffers.

The afternoon brought the… (sound the theme from Dragnet) Dum da dumt duh duhhhhhh…. Fifth graders.

The majority of the time, I had one of the classes that gives me few problems. Their teacher had plenty of worksheets and she runs a very tight ship. I spent those two hours walking between the tables, helping, (language arts again) and making my presence known. There were no troubles and for the most part, I enjoyed the babies.

It was time to change classes. Out went one and in came the other…. THE OTHER… the one I had the pleasure of teaching last week for an entire day.

It was challenging… the body count in the end was, one boy got the boot, three others were moved, and another came close to paying the principal a visit. There are several in that class that, in a larger school, would no doubt qualify for a permanent alternative setting. I feel sorry for their homeroom teacher, the person who instructs them, or attempts to, all day. All I know for sure is that their instructor automatically has a pass into Heaven. If it were me, I believe I’d start drinking again. No, check that… I definitely would start drinking again.

I arrived home last night happy at the thought that I can once again call my time my own. Sargie had the day off and after dealing with munchkins all day, she was a sight for sore eyes.

I entered, lay my hat on the table, put my briefcase on the floor, removed my coat, and there she was, walking towards me with arms wide open. Call me a romantic old fool, but I like that. I think that’s a woman’s way of making a hard day seem all worth while; the equivalent of placing a band aid over the boo boo of her three-year-old child and making it feel better.

Strange, I try to do the housework here and think I do okay… but then I leave, Sargie has a chance to work her magic, and suddenly the place is… beautiful. She places a candle here, a dish there, picks up my dirty socks, and voila, it becomes an entirely different home. I love what she does to our house. I love our home with her here. I love her.

Last night was spent relaxing. We decided to celebrate life by enjoying a sinfully huge bowl of popcorn. That was my slip for the week from my diet. I’d used up all my eye power during the day at school so I couldn’t read or grade any assignments, something that will happen today.

Seems the eye power is like a tank of gas in the car. Once it runs low, then the driver has to reduce the speed and coast down the hills.

We were in bed fairly early last night and both of us were laughing this morning as neither of us moved all night and making the bed was a matter of smoothing out a few wrinkles. The bedspread covers looked as though we hadn’t used the bed. Must have been a couple of old, tired, people who slept there last night.

Sargie works early today which means she’ll be home early tonight. I’m going to start the day with a five mile hike, come back home and read and grade papers, then go outside and split some larger wood I got last summer from Yooper Brother Mark’s plant. At the time, it was too hot and my knee hurt too bad to swing a twelve pound mall. I don’t have either excuse today.

Speaking of knee, I don’t even think of it anymore. Other than being a bit weak, I believe we can pronounce it completely healed. All it needs is exercise and strengthening.

So as of today, that’s my life in a nutshell. I’d pontificate about worldly matters and other happenings of importance, but I see my coffee cup is empty and the maid must be on break.

I’m not surprised. A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…