THE STATE OF THINGS

About half of the contents of my office

The timing of the DDP Conference wasn't perfect.  Or, rather the timing of the re-structuring at the school wasn't perfect.  THIS is the contents of my working life (about half of it could fit in the frame).  Except in this photo (believe it or not) it is somewhat in order.  The idea was, I would come back from the conference, and in an orderly fashion move things into my new office.  (It isn't really "new" - in fact it is a substandard space to the left of the stage, where they have always put the teachers that "don't matter" much - the itenerant Spanish teacher, the part-time PE teacher, etc.  They needed me to move, as no one else would, or could, and the art teacher needed a space big enough for her to have another desk for an intern.  So, I offered my office and agreed to take the "spare office"....but, you know, I like it.  I am not sure why (and I know that I won't like it during band practice) but it is cozy in some way, and perhaps I like it because long ago, when the church was the gym, it was the sacristy...so it has a certain "sacred" air. Plus (big, big plus) it has its own restroom!! 

This is no small thing. 

However, back to the point.  While I was away, apparently they had the "gift" of some high school volunteers, who they had "help" by putting all of this stuff IN my new office.....that is they threw it in there, willy-nilly, stacking it every which way, completely blocking with stacks of heavy boxes, the very cabinets in which the things need to be stored.  I could have wept.  They even chose to move a closet full of things, and two shelves of books and papers which I had carefully labeled "Please do not move these items."   So, all of the kids' vital records (which  I need for school), infomation about when to call a psychiatrist for Anastasia (including phone number), and the sheet upon which I made notes about people who volunteered to teach for me this year - all of those time sensitive, and oh-so-important things ended up just tossed on top of this box and that, which then got into the above-described mess in the new space.  I don't know when I've felt so overwhelmed. 

I've been slogging through it for a week and look for more of it today......  One of these days, surely,  I'll see he floor.