Informant 9

February 12, 2016

5:35am–

>>alarm goes off

thinking: “oh, no, I have to get up. Ihategettingupsofuckingearly. then “Oh, It’s Friday. That’s better.”

Still having cold symptoms.

>> up to let dogs out.  Prep cat food and dog food while  dogs are out. Feed cats, put down dog food, let dogs inside. Get coffee ready. Take special needs dog out to manually relieve her bowel and bladder.

thinking: about how COLD it is outside, yet I have to do what I am doing b/c I love my dog. Also thinking that I am much more awake and in less of a fowl mood by now.

6am–

>>heat up oatmeal in microwave and cream up the coffee with powdered hazelnut. fill up tub with HOT water for my ritual before-work soak to relieve stress. I love to lay with my head under the water and just relax for a minute or two; my own low budget Michael Jackson hyperbaric chamber to shed stress. No longer cursing the early hour.

6:30am–

>>computer time to read work emails, personal emails, read online version of the StarPress, and Facebook.

7am–

>>dress for work.

7:25am–

>>Drive to work

7:45am–

>>arrive at work

7:50am–

>> clock in and take cold medicine to help with running nose.

thinking: the parking lot is too full, but I find a spot sort of half on a left over snow bank. parents are bringing their kids inside to help them carry Valentines Day party treats.

8am–

>>Greet kids getting off the bus and chat with them as they take their coats off. Kids arrive with lots of snacks and Valentines card that I help put up.

9am–

>> begin academics with kids. I do “fluency reading tests” with 2 kids at a time. They read short paragraph stories for 1 minute and I have to add up the total words read minus the number of errors = the number of words correct per minute. Make copies of all the tests.

thinking: how proud I am of V. for being such a good reader when he is slow with comprehension, and of C. who read very fluidly with no mistakes.

10:20am–

>> go to Library with kids. they learn how to write Quintain poems. My group of 2 kids writes on the subject “Dogs” — “Dogs   silly, fluffy  kind, playful, soft   Love to chew toys Pet”

11am–

>> recess in the classroom b/c snowy and cold outside

11:20–

>> take kids to lunchroom and get them started on lunches

11:35am–

>> lunch for teachers and myself

12pm–

>> back to class with kids getting ready to watch a movie for Valentines Day. Then party with the class next door. games and snacks.

1:45pm–

>> get kids to the bathroom and in their coats to get on bus for home; bus comes at 2pm and they are off

2:05pm–

>>clock out and go home. eat some of the chocolate the kiddos left for me in my Valentine’s Day bag.

2:35pm–

>> arrive home and pull out front to get mail out of box, just a statement of monthly coverage from my insurance plan

>>go inside and NOISY CRAZY BARKING dogs greet me. Let them all out to pee. Express bowel and bladder on Patty. Begin cleaning up after pets… changing bed pads in crates, etc. Decide to clean house, also, so get started on that.

>>take down S’s sick room in the living room where I set him up after surgery to remove an intestinal obstruction. Had to keep him safe and quiet after his surgery. take that all apart and throw all the dog pads in the wash… 3 from today and 1 from yesterday. Remove excess items upstairs to the basement, vacuum, dust a bit in living room, change bed sheets.

3pm–

>>call my mother to ask her to do a Dad task for me.  She is my dad’s neighbor and his ex-wife, but helps us with his home care.

4pm–

>>eat dinner of fake chicken patty and homemade chex mix.

4:30pm–

>> nap time and Dr. Phil. two families are fighting over an adoption. Birth family wants to see the child, but adoptive mother will not allow it b/c it was a closed adoption and they are harassing her. Then on to local news watching.

6pm–

>> dogs are obnoxious and want me to feed them. I get up and do the feeding and peeing routine. Clean dog bowls and tend to laundry

7pm–

>> cold pill for continued runny nose. computer time where I read that I need to do this and complete the questionnaire. Also play on Facebook a bit. take an ice cream break.

thinking: I am frustrated that I lack technical skills. can’t figure out how to save a draft on yahoo email or how to word document on windows 10. Grrrr.

8pm–

>> back to this diary. lost it as a saved “draft” on yahoo. get more frustrated

9:30–

>> decide to wrap this up and go to bed, but try to save and lost part of the draft… stopped at 3pm.

Fix an adult beverage. Let some dogs out.

9:45–

>> going to attempt to email this now. hope it all goes through