Back to it. Back to school. Lab today. Might be a mistake, but the calendar is short before the Thanksgiving break, so what has to be done…has to be done. So I will do it. That sprinkler is still not fixed, although I spent more money at Home Depot to hopefully fix it in the future. I filled two trashcans with trimmings from trees and bushes, but not the third. I did not get to cleaning the floors or the bathrooms. I made choices. I did not completely finish grading stuff. I left the homework for this week, figuring kids would be calm enough tomorrow during their test for me to get through those. I should be able to grade in class sometimes. I realize if you’re not a teacher, you think we should always be teaching, always on, but that’s unsustainable, and honestly, not what’s best for kids. They need to work independently at times, so in their futures, they can do that at their actual jobs. It’s been rough getting these kids there, but they are getting there. We are one third of the way through the school year. We are behind in curriculum, and we will get more behind, thanks to the state and my stupid school board. But it’s OK! the district says it’s only going to fuck up the schedule for THIS year. Well, this is the year I’m managing right now, thank you very much. So I’d like it NOT to be fucked up because of something my school board did.

Anyway. It was nice to have two extra days off. I think we’ll be lucky to have good attendance this week unfortunately, but we’ll see. I’ll be happily surprised if we do.

I did iron both nights, although not really more than usual. I had other stuff I was working on this weekend. Here’s Monday night’s ironing…

Ironed a torn-up flag. About the only one we have at the moment.

Then last night…

Finished everything on that piece of the rug and did the edges of the second bathtub.

I also had signed up for the Forbidden Words National Quilt Project, where we make blocks with the words/phrases that the current government is either removing from use or questioning any work that uses those words. I had three phrases I picked probably back in August (my August self has great hopes for Fall self that are often somewhat nuts). And I was determined to get them done or mostly done this weekend. I traced all the letters, using the stencil we were supposed to use, and then cut them out during book club Monday night, and ironed them down to the white fabric at some point (not sure where in the continuum that happened).

I was trying to save space, so an ‘H’ wandered up. I got those all cut out using my ancient scissors that cut zigzags that…pinking shears! See, if I talk it out, my brain will find the words. And then ironed them down to the backgrounds.

We needs to use old shirts, so I had previously gone to the thrift shop to find shirts that would work. I just need to stitch them down, which won’t take long, but probably won’t happen until Thanksgiving break, honestly.

Nice to have progress on that though.

Also, we have squirrels. They might be ground squirrels. That go in trees. Hard to say. San Diego has multiple types of squirrels.

Although it was on the ground, it was just eating bugs or something (do squirrels eat bugs?) and then going to the next tree. Down one, across, up another. So who knows. If I see it again, I’ll see if the Seek app can identify it. Didn’t think of that at the time. Plus it doesn’t work well through window screens.

This might be what gets me through the week…

Or this…

Sometimes I think my blog is a place I store memes I want to reread next year. I do read the previous years of the month I’m in…it’s kind of a survival thing, like this month fucking sucks. Did it suck last year? Oh yeah, it did. I mean there’s pros to November in days off, but cons in kids being checked out due to said days off. So yeah. Two short weeks of school, pros and cons right there. This is where I’m at…

Too many adult things to do. Including leaving here and setting up the rest of the lab at school, and trying to remember how to actually DO this lab (can’t remember what the piece of wood is for; hopefully I made a video last year. Of COURSE I made a video last year…they’re not just for the absent kids!). And then an art opening after school at Mesa College; I have one piece in their current show. Then home to plan some more and read and iron. And sleep. And repeat.

Politics? Still suck.

I’ve got some ideas as to what should go in.

OK. Work. Tired. Always. Still? Friction lab. Feeling frictiony. No staff meeting this week though. That’s a plus. And it’s short. Go on, get outta here.