trust me, it's purple

The flash on my camera doesn't appear right on the carpet or something - anyway, trust me, the hardhat is purple. A lovely purple. I will stand out in a crowd. Yesterday I drove past construction and scornfully laughed at the workers in their pathetic white hard hats. And today, it finally arrived. As well as my steel-toe, steel-shank shoes to wear. The hard part with steel-toe shoes is, I can't press to see how close to the end my toe is. Because, of course, the toe is steel.

Anyway, the point? I'm New Orleans bound! Only about two more weeks until I go.

Two things contend for most stressful today - and the day ain't even over. One, a transcript wasn't sent in August to LSAT when it was supposed to, so I don't know how I'll make the April 1 deadline. I called, faxed, and emailed the person in charge of transcripts at the office as soon as I found out today - maybe if she express mails it and I call LSAT and ask for expedited analysis? I dunno, and I'm not happy to be in this spot. This is why I try to never procrastinate.

The other? Oy vey, my workplace. This girl needed a signature on a form and the office staff was SO RUDE to her - and worse, they were rude to me. Why worse? Because they talked trash about me when I wasn't there, in front of her. I don't even really care about them talking trash about me - but how dare they be so unprofessional?? The girl was already having a horrible day and then they treated her so badly. I went over their heads to the principal and he did what I wanted (her crying probably helped), but they made it really, really unpleasant for her. (I guess the only good thing at all is that she felt that I really cared about her and was willing to go to bat for her. Her life really does suck - the more she told me, the worse I felt for her. Everything sucks.)

Teaching is teamwork - we do need the whole team. They don't like that my priorities are always with the kids instead of making their lives easier. I was completely courteous to everybody, and there is nothing more that I can do if they choose to be idiots. But I will always go to bat for one of my kids. Always. It's a rule. And I'll do whatever I can to make things happen.

Another crappy thing - I hit the garage door with my mirror and instead of flipping like it's supposed to, it snapped off and broke. Ugh. Hundreds of dollars down the drain. Good news about that - I really needed an oil change and a mechanical issue taken care of, and now I'm taking it in on Saturday to have it all taken care of.

Most naive thing said today? Aztec boy was in working after school with geeky-boy-who-will-be-an-awesome-writer-someday, and he said he was thinking about being a lawyer but, he asserts, after all these demonstrations everything will be taken care of for his people (his words) and there will be no need for lawyers to help anymore.

Wow. What a nice world he lives in. I wish I could get a visa to that world.

Also, the principal came in with people (who will apparently be using my room for something) about an hour after my workday ends and was surprised to see me there working with kids. Well, he's never seen me teach, but at least he knows that sometimes I do put in some extra effort.

Ugh, the kids are on spring break mode, and it's still over two weeks away. I cracked the whip and made an essay mandatory - they will fail if they don't turn it in, period. We'll see what happens. I may be failing more than my usual two students. Or maybe they'll get a reality check - that's why I'm doing it now, two weeks before the end of the term.

Sent a kid to the office today for being a dick. OK, I didn't write that on the referral, but I felt like it - using instead the words unpleasant, rude, and surly. Today he refused to remove his hood (a school rule) and I was relieved. We were going to have it out over something, and the AP has to back that.

Anyway, I need to do my 2nd and last law school application RIGHT NOW. Sigh. Don't want to, but will. Just in case.