new years

This is gonna be a convoluted post; I’ll warn you ahead of time.? It will be kind of like one of those TV shows where the story line is so full of “intrigue” that it doesn’t really have a plot, and you can’t figure out who the characters are supposed to be so you just sit there and half watch with a confused look on your face.? (Okay, that would probably be more me than you.? Which is why I never watch TV.? You probably would have no problem understanding things and would just pray I didn’t ask stupid questions during the good parts.? But I digress.)? I’ll provide plenty of footnotes so you (er, I) can keep track.*

Long story short:**

Today was Christmas.***? My dad (who knows best), got his soon-to-be-out-of-work-teacher (me) just what she needed most: a Student.? BOY was I surprised.? I would have been fine with a sweater or bath products, but hey.****? Said Student and I had a great time reminiscing about the Good Old Days***** when he and Juvenile Delinquent sat together in my class.******? Turns out Student lives right behind my dad, and has been coming over regularly for guitar lessons.*******? We deemed him a Nice Boy, and sentenced him to play my daughter at air hockey (who before today had never lost to anyone in the state of Ohio, and has been quite unbearable about it).

…and a lovely time was had by all : ) ………………………….. C.
………………………………………………………………………………..

* cause I kinda want to see how many asterisks I can use in a single post : )? (no worries; it’s just a phase)
** Don’t you LOVE it when people say “Long story short…” and then proceed to give you a long story??? Me TOO.
*** Today was New Years.? But since everybody had the dreaded Pink Eye during Christmas, we decided to postpone Christmas to the next available holiday.
**** He also got me a HD gift card, and a free “phone-a-dad” request for help on a home improvement project.? (you know me soo well… : ) )
***** which weren’t old at all, and neither is he
****** JD was simultaneously one of two students in my teaching career that came verrry close to punching my lights out, and also one of an elite handful who has repeatedly come back to tell me how great I was.? enjoy the irony.? I know I have.
******* …and free food
******** Student – 1; Daughter – 3.? It’s a start.

The New Year is quickly approaching… did you know it’s the start of a new decade??? Just 10 years ago we were panicking that the world was going to end or somesuch thing because the numbers hit a nice round shape.? I’m not in for conspiracy theories, but I do find the symmetry appealing.? Aside from new year’s resolutions, what I really want at the start of a year is tabula rasa.? All “to do’s” done; all projects completed, a clean house and a deep breath before beginning again.? Granted, I’d want this at the start of every week too, if I thought it was even remotely feasible.? But having a two week vacation (a.k.a. “ketchup days”, as my friend calls them) makes it much more likely.

People all seem to have their own quirks about the new year — some insist on a kiss and a cheer at midnight, some watch the countdown, some have dinner with family… my dad refused to eat chicken on New Year’s, as it somehow doomed him to chicken dinners for the rest of the year.? (I’ve never understood exactly how this worked… though I suspect that last January One I must have had a LOT of tea and toast.)

I’ll admit to being a NY Resolution person though.? Not the immeasurable mushy sorts of “lose weight/ eat more veggies” resolutions.? (seriously, you wanna waste an entire year’s goal on something you could achieve by eating salad for a few days??)? Mine are more specific, focused… I spend a few days writing and tweaking them, in the hopes that if I take care to present them well, I’ll have the same devotion to seeing them through.? Okay, so it doesn’t always work, but I’m pretty good about it.? (I blame it on my “list” personality.? If making lists was a superpower, I’d be Amazing.? But it’s not, so I have to rely on my uncanny ability to Find Things.)

I won’t bore you by sharing my resolutions with you, save that right now they pretty much revolve around the transition between being “gainfully employed” and “gainfully self-employed”.? (It’s the “gainfully” part that will hopefully continue to pay the mortgage.)? So far, I’m optimistically nervous (it’s what I do.)? But still excited… about a new year, a new outlook, and all :}

………………………………………..all the best to you and yours in the new year! ?? C.

Deck the (teachers who ask for passes in the) Halls

New Years and Whatnot