. march 18, 2003 .

Three bad things about this week so far:

1. My performance evaluation has come out (from the fall) and is so bad that I may never be able to get another job in teaching.
2. On Sunday my favourite shoes (read: my Fluevogs) were completely destroyed. The sole fell off in the Amsterdam airport, then I was rammed by a series of suitcases, wheelchairs (wtf?!) & baggage carts until the leather tore off. Holy fucking fuck - I loved those shoes and I've only had them since September.
3. My mother is still incredibly angry over things I can't fathom.
4. My department head called my test "rinkydink."

Four decent things about this week so far:

1. Jet lag has meant that I've had plenty of sleep.
2. My co-workers are uniformly sympathetic to my employment woes, making me feel less crazy.
3. Scherezade doesn't hate me for showing up at her house and fighting continually with my mother for a week.
4. Tomorrow I get to sleep in and not teach for one period, as my kids are all going to an author talk - while I sleep!

Four neutral things about this week so far:

1. I am slowly coming to terms with the massive mountain of marking in my life. Not to say that I'm getting anything marked - but I am slowly appreciating the dimensions of the pile.
2. Every parent I spoke to today was very supportive.
3. I'm starting to collect a great deal of documentation that exonerates me from the charge of incompetence.
4. I had pizza for dinner.

So yeah. Most of what happened today and yesterday falls under the category of "really can't talk about it for fear of violating professional confidentiality." A few things happened that were noteworthy (and not job-related! Joy.) I went dancing with the Boy & Dirk yesterday - not drinking, just dancing - at the Dance Cave. An hour and a half of cigarettes, dancing, catching up and DJ Shannon's retro whims did a lot to release some of the toxins that have been building in my body over the past month. I'm very happy to be home, and my conversations with the Boy have reflected this joy.

Conversation I had on Monday:

Student: Did you mark our tests?
Me: No. I left the country the day we finished and I got back yesterday.
Student: Oh. Where did you go?
Me: Holland.
Student: Did you know that pot is legal there?
Me: Really?