I'm Already Stuffed and the Day Hasn't Even Begun. I Am Not a Fan of the Excessiveness of All to Come, But It Is What It Is

Alyssa arrived yesterday afternoon. The vote was taken and instead of staying home and watching Louisville volleyball against Pitt, I was outvoted for the Fairfield/Columbia men's basketball team (news flash, all teams I was rooting for tonight lost). Louisville looked good, but couldn't seem to get in the lead of Pitt at the last minute. Fairfield were outmatched and I had know idea Columbia was as good as they were.

This morning, Chitunga and Lys are running a Turkey Trot 5K while I peel and bake carrots. That's all I got this year...carrots. I made a key lime pie, too, but that wasn't requested. I just feel bad because it's hard to going from in charge to a minor role. I will adjust. Change is difficult. 

Last night, I was trying to restore memory on my computer and was going through old files that were big and needed to be deleted. I came across the summer I spent in Santa Fe in 2006. That's almost 20 years ago, and although I remember the experience, I don't really remember the experience. I know it was that summer that the principal at Brown, Ms. Ruthless, called me and started harassing the way I taught and what I represented to the school. It was then I told her that I wouldn't not last another year with her as a principal. I left the following May. I remember how awful she was, misguided and ill-directed and how she called me while I was pursuing the Break Loaf School of English Masters to belittle how I led and to tell me there was a new sheriff in town. I really despised that lady. She had an Ed.D from Louisville and thought she was God's gift to the world. 

In short, she set out to destroy all so many of us loved. And I left. A year later, she was ousted, and I like to think that I was a sacrificial pig so that the district would actually do something about a terrible leader.

Funny how such histories recycle themselves. I would still be at the Brown if the top-down management didn't become so horrific. It was such an awful time for so many of us.

But looking at the video, all these years later, and thinking about where I am now, I can't help but think there's always been a larger story from the The Great Whatever to be written. In fact, in the video, I found images of a woman I work with now in young adult literature. I didn't know she was in Bread Loaf with me, but when I found the file, I reached out to see if she was there. She was. That was here. Who'd of thunk it. 

I'm not thankful for my aching bones or the fact that I feel useless for festivities today, but I am thankful that Chitunga and Alyssa are here and they're running a 5K this morning. I will bake my carrots, shut up, eat well, and move on. 

Here's to the day...with all that food and gravy. I can already feel the stuffed stomach.