Okay, there is three parts to my trash story. And I’ll tell them in order as best as I can.
Trash Story #1
Other than getting things ready for school the only other things I’ve been doing is reading my trashy romance novels and staying up late. I think I read about 21 so far…don’t worry. I read a good book every now and then as well. But there is something so wonderful about a romance novel. I mean they are all pretty much cut and dry. Woman is against marrying a man, the man is against marrying a woman, there is a villain who wants to keep them apart and at the end they get rid of the villain and get married and live happily ever after. What’s not to love I ask you? And of course there’s the stuff in between that’s good too…..you know – the trash. I always feel like a dirty young lady in the library loading up my arms with romance novels. I envision everyone trying not to stare at me secretly saying to themselves “What a dirty young lady and she is teaching our youth!?!” So last time I went to the library, I brought along a bag. As I made my way throughout the library, I would pick up my trashy romance novel and put it into my trash bag.
In between reading my trashy romance novels I’ve been sleeping. Chris and I would stay up until 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning and sleep until noon. He would go to work and then we’d do it all over again. I’ve always been a night person but this has messed me up. When it’s midnight, it feels like it’s only 8:00 or so. Now I need to try to rearrange it so I can get up for work this week. Wish me luck. I tried doing it this week but it didn’t work. I’d get up at 7:00am go to work and come home. Take a 2 hour nap and do it all over again.
Trash Story #2
I know I’ve told you all before about Trashtukee….you know the part of Ahwatukee where we live. The rest of Ahwatukee is beautiful but you get into the parking lot of this apartment complex and it’s a different world. You have people throwing out couches in the garbage and the service men of the apartment pulling up their little golf cart to inspect the trash and load up what they want. It’s wonderful to go out with a cup of Chi Tea and watch it all unfold. Well a few weeks ago, I was sitting in our room on the computer. Chris was at work and the animals were sleeping on our bed. When all of the sudden I heard this load noise coming from upstairs. I thought nothing of it until it got louder and louder. It got so bad even the animals were staring at the ceiling. Nothing fazes these guys - ever. It sounded as if these people were coming through the roof. I wasn’t sure if I should call 911 or what…..that was until I heard the scream of a woman. I was on that phone so fast it wasn’t even funny. The cops came and carried off a man with no shirt and a pot belly. Trashtukee and that’s all I got to say about that.
Trash Story #3
Teachers are known to be scavengers. The saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” rings close and true to our hearts. We are paid crap (or trash) so we need to find cheap ways to compensate. Well I have been looking for a rocking chair or something for my classroom with no luck. As much crap…whoops I mean trash that these people dump in this apartment complex no one has thrown out a chair. But tonight people I got lucky. Chris wanted to go to the grocery store to get something to drink. So I drove my little yellow aveo to the Frys down the road. They have a Thrift Store bin in the back of the parking lot and many times people throw things out there that they no longer need. Well folks tonight was my lucky day!!!!!! There it was – a maroon leather work chair gleaming under the moonlight. (Well actually it’s cloudy out but you can imagine). It took some coaxing Chris into it but after we got out of the grocery store, we threw open my hatchback and laid the back seats down. Shoved this massive chair into my car and drove off. With the hatchback open. The chair was huge and it wouldn’t close. So here I am driving my little “Look at Me” yellow Aveo with my hatchback open and this giant ass chair sticking out. We think people were laughing at us…..but at least I got my chair. Took it to school right away and put it in my classroom after a quick vacuum job. The arm rests are ripped and it needs a good scrubbing with some Lysol cleaners but overall it’s comfortable and big! I love my trashy chair!!!! Side Note: It rained last night - hard. See it was fate that I went to this Frys out of our way. I just knew there would be a chair for me.
Well other than all that trash, summer is coming to an end….which means school is just around the corner. Well to be exact – one week from tomorrow.
After summer school was over I stayed away from school for a whole 1 ½ weeks. WOW! I know….
But soon I just felt the need to go in. I mean this is going to be my “real” first year. I joke with Chris that the kids I had last year were my adopted kids. Their teacher left them and I took them under my wing and gave them as much love and nurturing as I could. (But no one told me how much I would miss my adopted kids!!!!) But this year, these kids are going to be MY kids. I will have them from beginning to end. I will be able to establish rules and procedures from the beginning.
I have been working so hard to get my room ready. You can check it out on my webpage at www.kyrene.org/staff/kjensen. Click on Class Pictures and don’t forget to leave a message in the guest book (appropriate messages only please!! ha ha). I will have to post pictures of my new chair – you’ll love it too!!!
I’m implementing so many new things this year that I think the kids are going to love. I’m just so excited!!
Oh and today I received an e-mail from one of my old math students (no not evil one). And guess what? She made it into Pre-Algebra. That made me so proud!!! She worked so hard all year long! Came in for extra help when she needed it and just an overall great student. It felt good.
But man o man, is it time for me to go back. No one told me you’d run out of money not working (to the point where you scavenge for chairs). I guess I should have figured that out but…. I can’t wait for my first paycheck. I know I’ve been running around buying stuff up for my classroom (at my own expense) but who knew the money would just disappear? Ha ha. You should have seen me during the Staples sale. They had 15 folders, 3 boxes of pencils and 3 pencil sharpeners on sale for just a penny each!!!! Who the hell could pass that up? NO ONE!!! I took everyone I knew. First Sheila, Jon and Chris. We all picked up the max and went to the counter. Came out to 24 cents. You just can’t beat that. So for the next week I would go to Staples multiple times a day. If you went to lunch or out with me you were coming to Staples with me. Now that it’s over, I have close to 200 folders and about 360 pencils and 24 sharpeners (they ran out of these early). Now you ask yourself what am I going to do with 200 folders – anything. They were a PENNY!!! I’ll build a damn fort with them for all I care. Hmmmmmm….now that’s an idea. Folder Fort….
Well that’s about it…..sorry it’s so long and I’ll try to keep up with it more.
Love,
Katie
