A Day in the Life #47

Whew it's been a crazy couple weeks!  We had our first 6th grade concerts last week and the kids sounded so good - I was really proud of them!  (...even though like 15 of them left their music which meant I was running around like a chicken with her head cut off making extra copies instead working with the kids to make sure they were in the right head space before performing).  But jeeeeezzzzus I was exhausted.  By the time you've walked to the gym and back, you've walked a half mile - and no I am not exaggerating.  That's literally the distance.  So just imagine working a full day, that full day being with middle school children, and then running enough chairs, stands, percussion equipment, and risers for 80 middle school children on stage and god knows how many parents in the audience, corralling hundreds of middle school students, running two concerts, and THEN after ALL OF THAT....moving all of the equipment back.

So...let's just say that exhausted doesn't even begin to cover it, and I've only just started to recover from all of it because I slept later than I've slept in months today.  Aaaaand I am doing this all over again for the 7th graders this Wednesday, and the 8th graders after that...and then I'm done!  Which is very bittersweet, but I'll definitely be ready for the break because if I'm this tired now? It's got nothing on how I'll be feeling by the end of the 8th grade concert. 

And of course I'm FREAKING OUT about my 7th graders except for one group, and to be freaking out about 3/4 groups is NOT A GOOD FEELING.  But I'm hoping they'll pull together like my 6th graders did. (Or that Sue's band will cover up my band kids if needed)

On the other side of things...I had to put Lily down two weeks ago.  I don't much feel like talking about it, but I can say that it was time and I think because of that I'm not feeling quite as bad as I thought I would be.  I can also say that if you've ever had to put a cat down, consider doing it at home.  The cost for me was pretty on par with I would have paid at the vet and it was just a way, way better decision for her.  And if you live in the Maryland area, I would recommend Peaceful Passage a million times over.  I am still missing her like crazy - I keep thinking it's her out of the corner of my eye or that she'll be on the bed waiting for me, and between Sejoon being gone and her being gone it's kind of messing with my sleep. But I still have Tristan and he is the cuddliest cat in existence, so he's been making up for it in the meantime.

Books

Emma talks about Newt Scamander, Toxic Masculinity, & The Power of Hufflepuff House.
Emily dissects the literary glamour of madness.
There's a Lunar Chronicles character quiz. (I'm Cress, btw)
Chelsea thinks it's more important than ever to criticize the things we love.
Even more bookish links over on In Tori Lex!


Authors

Lin Manuel Miranda is producing adaptations of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle!!!!!
Neil Shusterman uses stained glass to recharge his writing.
Ursula K. Le Guin on the election, Lao Tzu, and a cup of water.
Authors on being a writer in the time of Trump.