The Truth Hurts

If you had asked me last night before I crept beneath the sheets for sleepy-time if I had done everything that needs doing in order that I might be ready for work in the morning, the answer would have been a resounding, "YES!"  

I probably also would have questioned why you were in my bedroom and interrogating me in such a fashion, but that is neither here nor there, I suppose...

You can only imagine my surprise this morning when I discovered that there were any number of things left undone and that I'd frittered away the whole evening secure in the belief that I was prepared.  The result, of course, was a frantic dash about the manse trying to prepare myself for the day.  There was much arm-flapping and tripping over kitties who really don't care if I go to work or not so long as the bowls are filled before I do whatever it is I plan on doing.

Still, I felt that I was managing pretty well time-wise.  This only made the sting of looking at the clock while I was putting together my lunch all the more painful.  6:15 had arrived and this is the absolute last second I can consider leaving the house if I am going to be on time for work.  And that's only if there are no major traffic flow issues or invasions from outer space.

With the exception of a brief stay in New Hampshire, I have lived in Maine my whole life.  And the out-of-state experience was really only due to the fact that the closest hospital happened to be there and Mommy Sheep thought it might be nice to have me in a place with doctors and lots of nice anesthetics.  You'd think that, by now, I'd have caught on to the fact that it sometimes gets a little chilly here or that I might need to occasionally scrape a bit of ice off the windshield in the morning if I want to see whilst driving.  Apparently this bit of knowledge has yet to sink in, though.  I had not factored this into the morning's routine any more than I'd factored in anything else.  Precious time was lost, but I like to think that lives were saved what with my being able to see the road and all...

I made it to school on time, but just barely.  And I didn't get to use the ladies' room before the kids came which is something of an issue for someone of my advanced years.  But there were a whole bunch of kids absent today so it all worked out for the best.  There was a free moment early enough in the day so that no dignity was lost.

I honestly and truly believed that I had dealt with that pesky matter involving my staff and the discrepancies in their time sheets a couple of weeks ago.  There was a huge miscommunication and I did everything in my power to make the administration see that cutting their hours on that one day should not have happened.  I fought the good fight.  But today that all fell apart.  There is really nothing more I can do for them.  Policy is policy and the fact that we were not made aware of the scheduling issues that day means nothing.  On the plus side, I did come across as a hero in this matter so I can bask a bit in all that glory for a second or two.  

For that matter, I also thought that I'd made myself rather clear regarding how much I would appreciate it if I were involved when any of the students on my caseload were being dealt with from a disciplinary perspective.  I am not asking for input.  I simply need to know what is happening lest I find myself wandering around the building looking for missing students who are really just detained in the office or other such places of Purgatory.  I have other stuff I could be doing, you know.  Lots of stuff.  Some of it rather important and impressive.  (Other stuff...not so much.  But it's still stuff I could be doing that doesn't involve hunting down kids who aren't even in school because they have been sent home.)

Who knew that I had so woefully underestimated the extent of my knowledge base?  I am clearly delusional because I could have sworn that I'd managed to pick up a thing or two over the past four decades.  I guess I should be paying more attention.  I'm going to put that on a sticky note and stick it somewhere where I'll be sure to see it.  "Pay attention.  You know nothing.  Love, Sheepie."  That should do the trick...

Meanwhile, there are a few things of which I am certain.  For example, I know that the work day will end and that there will probably be more positive moments than negative.  I know that, once home, I can ride my little exercise bike, watch downloaded television programs that didn't get watched over the weekend and knit on my Never-Ending Scarf.

I'm OK with the "never-ending" part.  It's nice, mindless knitting.  I know that I can do this.  Mostly.

Let's face it:  Things could be worse.  I could, for example, have to deal with the denial and level of delusion experienced by the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty.  Several of you commented on his gi-normousness, maybe even thought that he was bigger than he used to was.  When I told you that he was on a diet, I was not kidding, people!  I'll admit that yesterday's photo wasn't the most flattering angle and all.  But he is really gi-normous!  Sometimes he just tips over and rolls a bit when performing actions that kitties have been performing since the dawn of time.  

He is still not getting it, though.  The AGK is a master of denial.  He has healthy self-esteem.  Just not such a healthy girth.

Fat?  Who calls me fat???  I is beautiful!  I knows I is beautiful!!!

I strikes a pose.  I'm gorgeous!  They alllll wants to be like me!  It's the jealousness that makes them say I's fat!

That is a level of truth avoidance to which I can only aspire...

SA