Why? Because I almost made a list of everything that’s making me mad lately, up until and including last night. But instead, I have made a list of everything I need to do today. Yay, how about that? Proud of me?

I like having school start on a Tuesday every year. We had contract day on Friday, then the long weekend. Excellent. We got to see our baby grandson Mr. A. yesterday, and the Js spent the day with us earlier in the week. I’m good for another few days.

For the past week, I’ve slowly begun to get myself back into the school sleeping/waking mode (in bed by 10:30, read till 11, up at 5). Didn’t quite make it today. I wanted to be out of the house by 7…ain’t gonna happen. I haven’t even had coffee yet, child. Lawd.

Anyway, here’s to a fabulous week for us all. I hope my fellow pedagogues reading this are excited to begin, and that you’re not thinking about, you know, the 7 years, 9 months, 11 days, 3 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds until retirement.

Have a goody!

How cool is this? I got my final schedule of classes, a full six days before school starts. Not bad:

1st per. –  7th/8th choir
2nd per. – 6th choir
3rd per. – Black & Gold
4th per. – Music theory
5th per. – Lunch
6th per. – HS choir
7th per. – Tech
8th per. – 5th grade
9th per. – Prep

I think putting morning announcements on the district site at 1:30 p.m. is not ideal, but it’ll all work out. That’s what lunch at your desk is for, right? And something totally new this year (this will interest you, Bando): I no longer share a period with any band at any level. How awesome is that? Good for Abe and the bandies, too. Had to give up 5th choir for it, but that’s OK. I’ll endeavor to make singers out of ’em anyhow, like I did in the early days.

Only bad part of this schedule? No more lunches with my awesome fiends Wendell, Stoney and Abe.

Today I am off to the school house to meet with the guy who installed the fantastic new mixer board and speakers in my classroom. We scheduled the training session for closer to school time so this old dino-bot could retain a bit more information. After that, I print out, fold and stuff 150 letters that will be mailed home to parents, and try to stop by to meet my new super and new middle school principal. Definitely not a stressful day: a good way to begin.

Hey. I thought today was Thursday.

?????

Finkosaurus

I mentioned to a friend in email yesterday the “countdown clock” I downloaded and have displayed near my systray.

Some might think I’m counting down the days until I put my feet up and go fishing and sit around and read all day, because I’m another lazy public school teacher who retires with a handsome pension at an early age while everyone in the private sector schleps it down the beltway every morning. Nah, that’s not it. Rather, the countdown clock measures the time left in Act One. Act Two begins the very next day.

There was a time when I thought that anyone who considered a career change at age 60 was nuts. Not so much anymore. I really like this “50 is the new 30” thing (regardless of what Tracey thinks), and I plan to indeed make the best of it.

Now I know that my aging, creaky bod is *nothing* like it was when I was 30. I’ll grant you that, Jim. And I know that I desperately need to stop teaching in seven years, nine months and blah blah days and hours not because of the choirs, but because of the schedule required of me to be involved in two mainstage productions per year. Those days are coming to a close in seven years, nine months and blah. I’ve heard the question, “Why can’t you just stay on as choir director and not do shows?” All I can say to that is it’s part of the job, and I simply could not A) do the choir gig without doing the shows, or B) stand back and watch someone else do it because I gave it up.

So yes, when I lay down the teaching certificate, I will pick up another weapon. Not totally sure of what it will be yet, but suffice it to say it’s taking on a loose form in the distance. Until that time, seven years and nine months and twenty days in the future, the clock stays on, if for no other reason than to remind me of the time remaining for me to get another life lined up.

So…what are you going to do after you retire? Some people give some much-needed attention to hobbies that had gone abandoned due to previous time constraints. Others continue to do what they did in their “regular” life, but just on a reduced basis. Still others devote all their time to play. I’m not sure I could do that, even if I could afford it. At some point, I need to feel like I’m contributing. It would be far too easy for me to feel like I’m “at sea,” and start doing dumb things.

Such serious thoughts on a Saturday morning. I should be thinking about fun, weekend-type things. Like tap choreography.

FO

To what, you ask? Hmmm. Give ya three guesses.

Actually, this is the time of year when, at 16 days until I see students again, I really try to kick things into gear for s****l to start.

I don’t know about other teachers, but every year about this time, it feels like I’m starting a new job. Private sector fiends: remember how you felt on your first day of work? A little nervy, maybe a bit apprehensive, or even worried? That’s how I feel every August. Maybe it’s because it’s always a case of “you never know what you’re gonna get.” I could have strong singers, or there could be gaping holes in the ensembles. I teach electives (except for 5th grade music class), so who knows how many will take me, and how many will want to stay after the first day?

What am I complaining about, though? Band directors have been at it for weeks already. [There’s a reason I chose vocal over instrumental.]

I must admit, I have thought more about retirement this summer than any other summer before. Maybe it’s because I have three grandsons whose lives I am going to want to be a part of as they get older and in school. Ball games, concerts…I really want to be there for all that stuff. I’ll just have to plan more carefully.

It will shock many of you to know that I will mark off Wednesday nights in mid-September so I can continue with my cake decorating classes. That means no rehearsals for me on those nights. I have never done that before. It’s always been school first, and, well, everything else last. Not so this year. Choreography can wait.

Speaking of choreography…I’d better start while the Thriller is at class all day. Tap shoes, tap shoes. How I’m beginning to hate you.

But hey, for the moment, it’s the weekend — enjoy your Saturnday!

…another show. La la la la la, la la la la…

How’s that lyric go? One week…will it ever be right? Then outta the hat, it’s that big first night.

I will not list all the things that have yet to be done before the curtain flies at 8:00 this evening, but suffice to say that I will be a bizzy rodent this day. Oh, and there’s that teaching thing.

We had our final rehearsal last night, and there was some fun, some good singing and acting, and some hope. We shall see.

And have I mentioned how much I adore the round robining? Loved it.

But for now, it’s off to the shower, the school house, and the theater. So much time, so little to do…………See you on the other side of opening night!