Saturday, April 2, 2022

Saturday odds and ends

Another long week at work finally came to an end. This has seemed like the longest school year ever. It's as though the two years of Covid have just bled into one another and combined to form one long, crappy year. 

Things are not going well at our school. There's a huge exodus happening in which more than a dozen teachers and other staff are either transferring to better schools in the district or else are fed up and retiring (those who have enough years in to retire). Little P.'s mom has been so mistreated and bullied by some of the same people that used to cause me problems that I'm afraid she's going to be the next to go. No one likes to work hard, try hard, and then be at the mercy of petty, backstabbing, lazy people with no scruples. I feel so bad for her. Then just a couple of days ago yet another of my favorite teachers told me she's leaving. She said the stress is starting to negatively impact her health and she's had enough. It's the best teachers and staff who are leaving, naturally.

It all makes me sad. Morale is so low that a feeling of gloom pervades the halls. We keep hearing that the principal will be leaving at the end of the year, either by quitting or else being sent somewhere else (I've even heard a rumor that a specific woman who's currently at another school will be replacing him) and honestly.....it would probably be for the best. I hate to say that. I like him a lot as a person but as a principal, well....the buck stops with him, so to speak. I'm just laying low, doing my job, and hoping for better things. What I want is to feel pride in my school again, not to mention a promotion to a better paying position. I'm finishing up my 5th year and I think I've earned it.

At home, though, things are really good. My garden is coming along nicely. Today I harvested the first radishes and soon there will be lettuce and carrots to go along with them. My tomato and pepper seedlings are ready to be potted up and by the end of the month I'll be planting them in the raised bed. The bluebird box we put up last month has a pair of Carolina chickadees nesting inside! They're such cute, sweet little birds that I'm not sorry to have them instead of bluebirds. 

Last night I went to a community theater play with Martina, her husband Will, and one of the veterinarians that she works for. We had so much fun! Gregg isn't a fan of community theater, nor musicals, which is what this was, so he didn't care to go. He was amused to find out that our family doctor was part of the ensemble cast, though, and I took a photo of her after the performance to show him. At one point she was tap-dancing in an egg costume, which made him laugh when I told him about it. He said he would have liked to have seen that!


Florence Little Theatre

This is no joke!!! It’s OPENING NIGHT of Something Rotten!! Join us for a night of laughter, big-hit musical numbers, and of course, those tap dancing eggs!!!

Tickets are still available for tonight’s performance and can be purchased at the door starting at 6:30pm!


Doctor Shelton after the show! The guy with dark curly hair behind her was another local physician who played William Shakespeare. It was lots of fun.

One other thing of note this weekend is that this morning I met a sweet little puppy that my neighbor (the dog rescue person) is fostering until a good home can be found for her. Gregg is going to meet her either tonight or tomorrow, and we might consider trying to introduce her to George. She's right next door so it should be easy to take her on a trial basis if we decide to. I put her on a leash this morning and walked her around our property (George was in the house). She acted right at home and didn't seem to want to go back to Heather's house. We're not going to rush into anything, though. And George may not allow it anyway. 

We'll see.






30 comments:

  1. That is one lovely little pooch, your restraint is admirable, It must be right for George!

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    1. George barks and acts crazy when other dogs approach him (when we're out walking) so I'm not sure how he'll react to meeting her. He loved Ginger, but she was here first and helped us raise him. :) A little female puppy is probably our best chance of gaining his approval.

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  2. Most dogs will sniff around for a bit, but they're all very sociable. One of my associates has seen Something Rotten on Broadway and say's it's the greatest.

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    1. Something Rotten was very witty and a lot of fun! I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

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  3. What a sweet little girl she is! I hope George likes her.

    I'm sorry to hear of your situation at work. That makes it stressful and difficult for everyone. It was a similar situation at the office I worked at that caused me to retire a bit early. I decided enough was enough! Does your school go on summer break in June? That can be something to look forward to.

    Your garden sounds wonderful! Enjoy!

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    1. We still have spring break to look forward to, which will be from April 14th-24th. Our last day of school and the start of summer break will be June 2nd. It's hard to watch things go downhill at work on many different levels, but there's nothing I can do about any of it. I'm just hanging on until things either change for the better or I find a good transfer opportunity!

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  4. Doesn't the puppy have a name? May I suggest Lulu?

    Sorry to hear that the atmosphere in the school has also become "something rotten" but where you are at now is one helluva lot better than when you worked at the mall. At the front desk, doing your thing you can ignore a lot of the crap.

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    1. That's funny....her foster "mom" calls her Lainey or Laylay, so close to Lulu.

      My job really IS a helluva lot better now than it was five years ago! I'm still grateful for it every day. I think the fact that I've loved it so much is the reason it hurts to see things so very different now.

      Besides the personnel problems, we've also had some zoning changes and poorer kids from dangerous neighborhoods are making up a larger share of our student body. While that's fine in itself, the dramatic rise in violent kids is shocking. Last week two MOTHERS almost fought in front of my desk and I had to call the school resource officer (police officer) to handle it. These mothers were there to pick up their daughters who had just gotten into a huge nasty group fight themselves! Can you imagine? It's frightening. Especially when a 12 year old boy at a middle school in Greenville, SC, shot his 12 year old classmate dead just the other day--at school.

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  5. That's a sweet puppy. Hope it works out for George and you. I did a Happy Hour with some teaching friends at my old school yesterday and they told me that I wouldn't recognize the place these days. Many of the students are out of control, morale is very low, conditions are horrible. It made me very sad because I loved that school and my time there.

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    1. Read my comment to Neil, above, about the rise in violence in our school and the school shooting that just happened on the other side of the state this week. One school in OUR DISTRICT found a student with an unloaded pistol at school last week, too! It almost unbelievable. And very scary.

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    2. Yes, they talked about the violence, the disrespect and the blatant sexual harassment that goes on. They report it but not much happens.

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  6. What a beautiful doggie! I hope George likes her.

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    1. My husband is so afraid George may feel jealous or slighted that he might be the one who needs the most convincing!

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  7. What a pretty little dog. I think she has all our approvals.

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    1. She's a good one! I don't feel too invested in an outcome this time, though. Even if her eventual home is with someone else, I know she'll end up in a good place.

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  8. Community theatre can be a lot of fun, especially if you personally know some of the people playing the various roles!

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    1. I was surprised when I got there before the show and read in the hand bill that our doctor was in the ensemble cast!

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  9. Is the dog a Beagle? I have a friend who has just adopted a Beagle rescue dog, and he's adorable.

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    1. Beagle is the best guess! She's a pretty little thing.

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  10. I'm so sorry to hear things at Work are not good, I'm hearing that a lot from those in your Profession and it makes me Sad to think the very best are quitting, retiring early or transferring. I knew when the Pandemic hit that certain professions like that one would be upended so completely. Home Schooling was too difficult for most of us Parents and most of the Kiddos didn't thrive not being in person to learn, so they were delighted to be able to go back to School! I really admire those of you hanging in there who really are making incredible sacrifices personally for your Students. I'm glad things at Home are going Well tho', it's been a tough 2.5 Years, hasn't it?

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    1. It has, indeed, been a rough couple of years. Covid has upended life for so many, and some of these kids will have a hard time coming back from it all.

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  11. I so hope that you are able to adopt that gorgeous little girl. Leila( Layla?) would be a nice name.
    We also went to a local operatic society's musical on Friday. It was Evita, and good to be in a theatre again. Sorry to hear about all the changes you are experiencing at work. Can you perhaps change to a " nicer" school?

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  12. You love your job as such and are a true assett to your school. You show kindness and politeness to everyone and even have helped students to understand that good behaviour has positive consequences. It must be heartbreaking to see things going downhill, and hopefully a new principal will make a difference for the better.
    Good to have a wonderful home life to back you up! And the possibility of a new four-legged addition to your family is exciting.

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  13. And the saddest thing of all about your school situation is that it is the children who will suffer as the best staff leave. Maybe a new principal is exactly what is needed.
    I'm so glad you got to go out and enjoy an evening like that. Nothing better! We will all be waiting to hear and see what George thinks of the little girl who could become his sister.

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  14. Poor leadership is so very destructive. It is not only the staff suffering. As Ms. Moon points out, it will be the children as well. My sister is a nurse, and she changed jobs due to the very same issues you describe. Her new job recruited her, and are very thrilled to have succeeded in getting her on board. She has met most of her new staff, who are very friendly and welcoming. She just finished her notice at her old position. Her leader handled the situation by making her life just as miserable as she could.

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  15. I retired from teaching a few months after Covid arrived. My retirement came about because my time had officially come and had nothing to do with Covid. Even so, I still feel as if I jumped ship when students needed the consistency of familiar teachers around them. I also taught in a high needs school and those kids need you the most! My teacher friends just shake their heads in despair at how far behind children have fallen academically. Teachers dislikes online teaching just as much, if not more, than students. I'm hoping spirits will begin to lift in education soon...maybe after a much needed summer break.
    On a positive note, the beagle puppy next door is sooo sweet. I have a thing for beagles.

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  16. I hope things even out at your school. We've been having a lot of drama at ours as well -- I just haven't blogged about it. It IS exhausting and dispiriting.

    I hope George takes to the new puppy! (Or at least tolerates her!)

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  17. That pup is adorable. You are wise to make sure an addition to the family is okay with George. At long last, I have found what is certainly my last job before retiring and the place is completely without drama. Assholes would not make it there.

    Love,
    Janie

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  18. What a cute pup, I hope George approves her. It is all up to him, probably best if they meet the first time outdoors and not in "his" house. I had 30 years at my last job and it had its toxic years and its up years. I hope your school is headed for up years.

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  19. sounds like a fun evening and the face on that puppy...soooo sweet.

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