Back to School is Total Chaos!!

I've been back to school for 2 weeks now - and it has been total chaos. I work in a high school guidance office and school starts for the students on Tuesday. Well... it's always chaotic those first 2 weeks getting everything ready for that first day. But this year there's a whole new twist to it all. We had a fire on June 1st in our gym. Nobody was injured - Thank God! We lost our gym, cafeteria, radio station, tv production room, 5 classrooms and locker rooms.

We'll be using modular units (trailers) to replace those areas for the entire school year. At the end of the year last year we finished out the year working in the middle school library. When I went back to work this year we were in our own space - but of course, working around construction crews, etc. Then three days into it - the internet and phone cable was cut. Back to the middle school we went.

It's been close to impossible to do all we need to do. I mean, everything I need to do has half of the info in the high school so it's been back and forth, back and forth. When I get home I'm so exhausted mentally I can't cook or take Suzy for her 2-mile rehab walk. I sit on my deck and veg out until my "boys" get home. Then we figure out dinner and I sit on the couch until bedtime.

Last night, in honor of it being Friday, we headed to our favorite Mexican place for dinner and margaritas. That gave me the "boost" I needed for the weekend. Today will be filled with some family bonding time before we move Steve back to college for his senior year. In high school Steve was not much of an academic and I was sending him off to college with some trepidation. I was almost certain he'd be home after one semester, not having been able to cut it. He surprised me in the best way possible - he not only completed his first semester of college successfully - but with over a 3.0 gpa! He has continued to do better in class than he did in high school, all while being President of the Hunting/Shooting Club, a member of a fraternity, and on the baseball team. Due to injuries he has opted to not play baseball this year. This will be the first time since he was 5 years old I won't be watching him play baseball.

Anyways.... back to my chaotic school year. Most parents have been very understanding when I am unable to provide them with their student's transcripts and other records. I have encountered other school districts that don't seem to understand, or maybe it's just they don't care, that I can't immediately fax over information on students who have withdrawn from our school and are enrolling in their's. I did return to the high school yesterday afternoon to work, just because I couldn't stand being so isolated any longer. As I walked into my quiet, yet chaotic, high school office, the tech guy was just plugging in my phone. I have phone service!! When it rang, it made me jump - I hadn't heard that sound in 2 weeks! Computer service is still unavailable, but we're hoping by Monday we'll be back to business as usual!

The administration is adamant that school will begin on time. Tuesday is the official start date for the students. Everyone - keep your fingers crossed. I sure hope they are right!!