My Muse is on Vacay


May 19, 2007 - Saturday


My muse might be on "vacay", but I'm not. To loosely quote the Stanley Tucci character from "The Devil Wears Prada"--I'm girding my loins. This upcoming week, mes amis, is going to be, how you say, a bitch! It's the last week of yet another school year.
Okay, I know, I'm a teacher. I get the summer off, sort of. (And yes, I know, your 6th grade teacher told you never to end a sentence with a preposition, but I'm allowed to because. Well, just because. There, I broke a few more rules. Sue me!) But, it's the only way we keep our sanity.
Back to this upcoming week...grades are due in the computer by Tuesday afternoon. I still have stacks of papers and projects to grade. I will be spending a great deal of my weekend getting caught up. My eldest daughter is graduating from high school Wednesday evening. And our house is a mess! My middle child will "graduating" from 8th grade on Thursday. (The latest trend is to call it 8th grade promotion, but a rose by any other name is still graduation.) And our house is a mess!
I won't subject you to a complete rundown of all the other tasks involved in closing up a school year, but they are numerous, mind-boggling, tedious, time-consuming, NOT FUN! Then, keep in mind, I'm also charged with the mission of continuing the education of my 6th grade class all the way through Friday, providing them with motivating and mind-nourishing lessons, keeping things as routine as possible, when we all know that the little dears have already checked out for the summer. (Since the completion of State testing,several weeks ago, as a matter of fact.)
Oh, and did I mention that I'm leaving my current school? So on top of all the usual end-of-school activities, I need to pack up all my personal classroom books, supplies, etc. (After 23+ years in the business, there's quite an accumulation. Teachers are notorious packrats.) And did I mention that our house is a mess?
Don't even get me started on the laundry!
So, my incredibly lucky muse is on vacation. (She must be, since I'm wrestling with these words and losing.) If she is indeed enjoying some R&R, I hope she's lounging on some secluded white sand beach, the salty breeze blowing through her hair, the rhythm of the the curling waves lulling her to a state of Nirvana, while she lazily sips a frozen concoction from a salt-rimmed glass, the cabana boy massaging away all vestiges of stress with his strong, yet supple fingers.
Heavy sigh!
Not me.
My house is a mess!

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