Has it really been this long?

Nov. 15. That was the date of my last post. One month ago. A lot has happened in one month and yet not much has happened. I was watching one of my favorite shows, Scrubs (buy season two, well worth it), and there is an episode called "My Monster." The basis of this episode is how the hospital controlled their lives. J.D. (the main character) goes on a date and every time he goes in for the "kill" he sees some of his patients and their nasty infections. Eliot is kicked out of her apartment because she can't afford it and has no time to search for another one so she's living out of a U-Haul. What I like about Scrubs is how it relates so well to my life and probably the lives of handfuls of other people. School runs my life. I chose my career, I wouldn't do anything else, and even my future plans as a Guidance Counselor still have me working in the school setting. Right now though, the school runs my life.

Even when I'm not working, I still am. At home, I think about what to do with a certain class. I think about students that I wish I could get back on track. I think about how I am going to plan things so I'm not overloaded with papers to check. Not to mention the actual checking and planning I do at home. The list goes on and on. I go to Hy-Vee or Wal-Mart or the mall and I see my students (this is actually one of the best parts of the job, but just an example of how the school never leaves me). A good friend told me today that instead of getting Carside to Go at Applebees I should eat there and hit on the waitresses. Not a bad idea until I reminded him that the waitresses are my students! I think if I did have a date anytime soon, I would probably bore the girl to death with stories from school. I think you get the picture.

In the episode, J.D. and the gang learn to cope and live with their "monster." I'm not complaining about my job at all. Heck, it is the sign of a good teacher who thinks about school that much. I just need to learn to make better use of "my" time and create more of it. Like today...a snow day (first of the year)...I ate out. I did some errands I never have time to do. Tomorrow is back into the gauntlet of school. It isn't easy, especially when I want to get out and meet people...especially meet "that one." You just cope though, because of small things like the students who make it worth while...the fun I have with the other teachers...and snow days ;)