Wednesday, January 13, 2010

what goes around . . .

so today . . . i had to eat my words. i hate it when that happens.

today was a busy day. i woke up feeling yukky--i don't know yet it if i am having allergy issues or if a bug is trying to get me again, but i really, really didn't want to get out of bed.

i made it to work and crashed behind my desk. i am fortunate that most of the kids i deal with at school are pretty well behaved and responsive to my words. most of the time. this morning they did a good job of keeping busy without much intervention from me. which is good, because i didn't have much intervention in me. in fact, we started reading groups today, but just barely . . . because i was sitting there thinking, "i can't do reading groups today. i just can't--i'm just too much of a vegetable." so i had to have a conversation with myself summoning up the energy to grab the basket of books, relocate across the room, and listen to kids read. yeah, i know--it sounds exhausting doesn't it?!?

the afternoon went well, and then i had a couple of parent conferences.

i usually enjoy parent conferences. and today was no exception. i talked with parents about their darling dumplings for over an hour. i was animated. i was wise. i was understanding. i was amazing, considering i just wanted to put my head down on the table and sleep . . .

but the conferences took longer than i had planned, so i had to go straight to the church for band rehearsal without stopping at home. thankfully, my music notebook was in the trunk of my car. and then i pulled into the church parking lot and realized that my church keys were still at home, sitting on the keyboard . . .

not good. not good at all. here's why . . .

last week was the first full band rehearsal we had had since thanksgiving--mostly because i had been sick, but then we also had a couple of weeks off. so i was kind of excited to be back. i got there early and got everything set up, and then waited for the rest of the band to show up. and waited and waited and waited. and as i was waiting, a series of text messages came to my phone explaining why each one was going to be late . . .

finally everyone got there, but then we lost one. the guitar player got to rehearsal and realized he didn't have his guitar.

are you kidding me?!?!?! what did he think he was going to do??? i mean, he was coming to rehearsal with the sole purpose of playing the guitar, but he didn't bring it??!?!?!

teenage boys--sometimes they make me laugh right out loud, but sometimes they make me want to bang my head against the wall . . .

finally he made it back with the guitar and was able to rehearse with us--for about 10 minutes.

which brings me back to today. i knew as i sat there in my car, keyless, that i was going to have to endure some payback. i could just imagine it . . . "what?!? you forgot your keys???? where did you think we were going to rehearse?? i mean, you were coming for rehearsal and you didn't bring the keys that would let us into the building?!?!?!"

yeah, it wasn't going to be pretty . . .

i had a few minutes before anyone showed up, so i rummaged through my purse again thinking maybe i had just missed the keys the first time. of course, i hadn't. and then the boys drove up . . . 15 minutes early! this was an unprecedented action--they were there early AND they had their guitars. shoot! the one time i was hoping for tardiness, there they were. early. and prepared.

i was toast.

i got out of my car, collected my stuff and headed for the sidewalk where they were unloading their equipment. my strategy was simple--go on the offensive. "you are never going to believe what i did," i started. and then told my story. their faces registered mock looks of horror, and i had to endure a few words of ridicule, and then it was over.

as much as i would like to throttle them some days, really they are nice kids. considering they are teenagers. and boys . . .

No comments: