Life In The Big Top

Circuses are fun.  There's clowns and amazing acrobats, lions and all the cotton candy you are willing to throw up later that night.  After the circus (and before the throwing up), you dream about wearing a pink leotard and swinging around on a trapeze, the envy of all.

Yup.  Circuses are fun.  Unless you are the one who has to clean up after the elephants and keep them all in that line where they hold onto each other, trunk to tail.  Then it is a lot of work.  My own personal classroom/circus has required a great deal of elephant type upkeep lately and I am getting mighty tired of wielding that shovel.  Which is why, by day's end today, I was a little bit out of sorts.  I also couldn't find my shovel.  I think one of the little charmers stole it.  By 2:00, I was engaged in the following conversation with The Student Who Came In From His Regular Class To Theoretically Finish Some Work:

Ms. Sheep:  What are you doing?

TSWCIFHRCTTFSW:  That thing on Whaling During Colonial Times.

MS:  Really?  Because it seems to me that you are not doing anything remotely like that.

TSWCIFHRCTTFSW:  Nope.  Pretty sure I am.  Don't worry about a thing.  I'm on it.

MS:  Actually, based on my own observation, it seems to me that you are really just hanging out and chatting with The Kid Who Hasn't Done Work In Any Appreciable Amount For Weeks But Today, For Reasons That Are Beyond My Ken, Decided To Finish Everything And Then Some And Is Now Wandering Around Bothering Everyone Else.  That's what it looks like to me, my friend.  What do you say to that?

TSWCIFHRCTTFSW:  I'm multi-tasking.

MS:  (beats head repeatedly on desk)

Stupid circus.  I am not a good ringmaster.  I wasn't even issued one of those cool tuxedos with a top hat.  

You can see why I need to make up my own entertainment in my "off" hours.  And why my little game with the Internal Revenue Service, the one where I put off filing the taxes until I can't stand the suspense anymore, is such a therapeutic thing.    Besides, if I don't make the deadline for filing, I can apparently just tell them I was multi-tasking.  

I've set some pretty impressive records over the years.  I've never actually waited until the 15th.  But, I've come close.  Since I don't skydive or wrestle alligators, I figure I'm entitled to other sorts of high risk behaviors.  And, I'm sure you've all been waiting with bated breath to find out if I actually hit the "send" button and sent those forms, which have been completed for a while now, whizzing through the internets to rest in an electronic pile with all the others.  Or you are remembering just now that I've mentioned my IRS game and are mildly interested because there is a commercial on at the moment and you are tired of hearing about how my DSL connection is all messed up.  Either way, I shall reveal the truth.

I actually pulled the trigger on the taxes on April 10th.  After a review of the finances (which have been shaky for the last 6 months or so) and estimating how long my refund will take, it seemed prudent to send them in nice and early.  Early by my standards, anyway.  It was the right thing to do.  I was sad to lose the game.  I wish I could have held on longer.  But, you know what they say:  Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes.  

Assuming I don't fall victim to the first, then I will get a another chance with the second in 2009.

And, on a happier note, this means that I will have yarn money for the spring vacation week.  And pizza money.  And I can maybe even pick up some peanuts for the elephants.  Maybe then, they will behave themselves.  (except the ones with nut allergies...I may need to rethink the peanut plan)

I will also need to pick up another shovel.  It's only a week's vacation and there's a bit of a stretch until summer.  I am going to need another shovel...

SA