Playground Bullies Are Not Always Kids!

Hot and humid. The weather was a pleasant mixture today. It rained, it got muggy, it blew, and it was sunny. My task today was to put supports on the backs of some new basketball hoops. It was not exactly an easy task and it took me sometime to figure out the ins and outs of which tool to use and when to use it. I was SOOOO lucky to have this job at the elementary. Recess seemed to come several times. Each time there were a number of children who thought it their best use of recess time to talk to me or help me. I attempted to send them on their way, but I just couldn’t do it. I had several helpers surround me when I came back down to the ground, so, since they would not go away, I employed them in moving my tools. That done, most went on their way. Those that stayed were told to stay a certain distance away so tools would not fall on them. Where were the recess teachers? They were there, just, apparently, they were happy to have another adult on the playground. I broke up one small disagreement and since I am also a teacher, they listened. It was kind of fun…even though it may have been nice if the playground teachers had been more on top of things.

That’s comparatively tame, though. Compared to the intermediate, Moxee El is heaven.

I was over at the intermediate yesterday checking the playgrounds and blowing wood chips back into the playground, when much to my displeasure recess began. My van (I drove one of the school vans to check on the playgrounds and carry my stuff) was in the way, as was I with my blower. One of the recess teachers came at me. She said it was recess time and was I done? I turned off the blower and headed for the van. I asked her if she could help make a hole for my van…then she tried to explain she did not know how I had gotten into the recess area, and where was my ID tag? I explained that I planned to go back the way I had come. She wanted me to go out the locked bus gate. She went off to unlock it with her key…I sat in the van…and noted that it was moving in a most un-van-like way. I looked back in time to see a few heads duck below the window. They were definitely on the bumper. She came back and asked the other recess teacher to unlock the gate because her key would not work. Keep in mind my van was running and I had asked her to keep the kids free of the area. She came back and proceeded to begin to give me the riot act because I was not wearing my little name tag…I have one, but everyone who is important knows me, so I have left it in my teaching bag. She said, “I would normally call Amy since you don’t have an ID tag, but you seemed to be doing something for the school” (apparently the district markings on the van and my blower were not enough of a pass). She took another breath to continue her monologue about the requirements of the school to have ID tags, I interrupted her. I said, “There are some kids on my rear bumper, could you please keep them off like I asked? It’s a matter of safety.” She ran off to tend to kids who just laughed at her, and I moved through the now open gate, severely annoyed at this lady who clearly enjoyed her “status” as keeper of the kids (even though they laughed at her when she scolded, obviously she had no ability to punish…wonder why I don’t sub at that school very often?).

I went to town after I got off work. I had to find some foam to send our stupid Hitachi External Hard Drive back to Hitachi with. They don’t allow packing peanuts, nor bubble wrap. I spent about an hour and 20 minutes hunting around town until I found a place that sold the right kind of foam that should not void my warrantee…stupid Hitachi.

I also got a Bluetooth hands-free device since some idiots can’t put their phones down to take part in accidents like the rest of us (that’s my theory as to why it is soon to be a law that cell phones must have a hands-free device in order to lawfully be used in a car.).

Cora was in town, too! She bought two movies! National Treasure II and Golden Compass! We are watching the latter now! Awesome movie!!



And for the picture of the day, this is the water tank I built for my Dad's HO scale train set up. It took me a week to build. I gave him this two Christmases ago.