The Craziest Week of All

And WHAT a week! Here's the breakdown...

Monday: Yay! Bring it on!

Monday dawned to find me mostly well-rested and almost ready to tackle the first week back after two glorious weeks of Spring Break. I even wore something besides jeans to work--choosing my pin-striped slacks and a happy green top.

My day went well. The highlight was that a bunch of art supplies started arriving. I recently got an order filled on DonorsChoose.org. The first thing to arrive was a large box containing 256 Crayola markers, in 16 different colors.

I was doing a happy dance in the mail room.



After work that day, I did 50 minutes of cardio, then walked home to shower and have some dinner before the first big dress rehearsal.

Alas (as noted in a blog post already), hottie cellist was nowhere to be found.


Tuesday: *Yawn* I'm awake! I'm awake!

Over my first couple of days back, I spent some time tearing old stuff off the walls and putting up new. You know about me and my bulletin boards...I now have a very cute Spring bulletin board, and one for Cinco de Mayo.







After work on Tuesday, I had a staff meeting that lasted 'til about 3:30, then I went straight to the gym, threw on my workout gear, and did 30 minutes of cardio before meeting with B. the Sadistic Trainer. Who promptly told me he's MOVING in two weeks.

I know, I know, there are other trainers...but just when I got used to him, now I have to get used to someone different. Gah! Change sucks, sometimes.

After our appointment, in which he made me do leg presses with 135 pounds on EACH FOOT (for a grand total of 270 pounds, which is quite a lot more than I weigh), I crawled out to my car, zipped home, and had 40 minutes to call Mom and Dad, shower the sweat off, and zap some dinner in the microwave. Thank goodness I'd planned ahead and cooked enough lunches and dinners for a whole week on Sunday.

As I drove through my apartment complex, I saw two mallards chasing a female duck, and trying to mount her. Wild sex at its finest, no doubt. But I almost started crying for that poor duck (stupid hormones). She didn't look like she was into the whole deal.

Rehearsal that night was fun and exhausting all at once, just as Monday night had been.

Wednesday: Sleepy April Fool

With my super-crazy Tuesday out of the way, I was ready to tackle What-the-hell-are-you-thinking Wednesday. See, two of my classes had finally earned a reward they've been working on since Mardi Gras--donuts.

There is a tiny little Ma-and-Pa donut shop behind the school, so I stopped there, smiled sheepishly at the Ma part of the business and said, "I need...five...dozen."

She got a happy look on her face, replied, "Not a problem!" and whipped out the first of three pink bakery boxes. She even included some complimentary donut holes! I was charmed. I'm glad I supported the little local business, instead of my first idea, which was Safeway.

Ten minutes and $30 later, I was carting five dozen donuts, my work back, purse and lunch bag in through the gate at school.

As expected, the donuts caused quite the stir--especially when I told my 5th period class that I'd changed my mind (the donuts were hidden) because they just don't deserve them. NO ONE caught on what day it was for a good few minutes. I then held up a sign that said, "April Fool's! GOTCHA!!"

The looks of shock and horror left my young charges' faces, and happy donut eating commenced.

After work that day, I didn't feel much like going to the gym, but I but on my gym close and walked over there for 50 minutes of cardio. Go me.

Again that evening, Rosie Pro and I zoom-zoom-zoomed over to rehearsal--the final dress rehearsal. The Requiem was really starting to come together and I was getting pumped up for the concert.

Thursday: Huh?

By Thursday, exhaustion was settling in. All this Chorale stuff was fun and exciting, but it was leaving little time for sleep and stuff. The pile of Glad plasticware from all of those meals I'd prepared was growing ever taller in the kitchen sink. The litter boxes were starting to smell, and I was getting concerned about the mess in my closet. Pretty soon, my clothes would probably mutiny.

I had another uneventful day at work and found myself, once again, at the gym with B. that afternoon. He said, "I'm proud of you for sticking to your workout routine, even though this week has been so crazy for you." I told him it's getting easier to go to the gym, that my body is starting to WANT the gym time. Then he made me do some step-up exercises. In the past, this would have made me give him the patented Meg Death Glare, but to my surprise, I found...the step-ups didn't really hurt all that much.

Another small victory.

Because Thursday was a concert night, I didn't have to be at the auditorium by 6:30. I used the extra time to have a relaxing shower and some Internet time. I even took a couple of videos.

The first is of Mr. and Mrs. Quack, the resident duck couple. I'm starting to wonder if they have a nest somewhere in the apartment complex, because I see them fairly regularly, and worry about them getting run over by stupid people who race through the complex.



The second video is of the Little Dude. Just to show off his flirty side and "six-pack abs." He doesn't really have six-pack abs, he actually has quite the tummy because he's a PIG. But his markings make it look like he's got a six-pack. I find this unbearably adorable.



But, this being The Craziest Week of All, and my life being Wild and Absolutely True, of course there had to be some drama.

The last two updates go into that whole crazy situation. I'm too tired to type it all again.

After talking to the cops (dressed in my Chorale get-up, no less), I raced off to the concert. Once there, I found myself being kept busy with a little bit of "gift wrapping." Here's the story, from an email I sent to a friend today:

Cute story--because it is so long, the Requiem is binded in book form. It's about 90 pages. It's not heavy, but I wasn't looking forward to propping it open in my black binder (we always have black folders for performances). I noticed some ladies had wrapped theirs in black paper, like a book cover, so yesterday, I brought mine to school and wrapped it in black construction paper. I had a feeling that some people might forget to bring a black folder (the college kids have different ways of doing things, but in this instance, Chorale traditions applied). So I grabbed some extra construction paper and a roll of tape and threw it all in my Chorale bag.

Turns out a lot of people DID forget folders, or saw how I had wrapped my book and decided they didn't want to haul their folder on stage and hold it up for an hour. So I had quite the little gift-wrapping business going for a while before the concert. I was joking that I should have charged everyone a couple dollars.

The Chorale director said, "we love our elementary school teachers...so prepared!" I told him how a year ago, I took 30 teenagers to Anaheim and sure enough, the morning we left, Reggie comes running to me in a panic, saying, "I don't have my tux!!" And how I had emptied the uniform closet the day before and brought everything with me--including extra dresses--as a just-in-case measure.

Ted said, "You're a saint!" I said, "No, I just know kids!"

The concert was marvelous. It was fun, it was exciting, and we did a kick-butt job of bringing Brahms to the masses. There were over 300 people on the stage. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

I haven't been this happy performing in a long time.

Friday: Uh. Tee. Gee? Aye! Fffffff...

Needless to say, it took a while for me to come down from that great musical high, so it was about midnight that I finally went to bed. I was up at 7:00 this morning, getting ready for one more day of work, and relieved beyond all measure that I have a glorious weekend of sleeping in ahead.

I took some pictures of my kids using the AWESOME colored pencils that were part of our Donor's Choice order. They are not face shots, so I can post them here. Today was "Beach Day" at our school, so I had them draw beach scenes.








At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I ended up at--guess!--the gym after work, doing my 50 minutes of cardio, followed by an appointment with my favorite sadistic trainer. When finished with that madness, I took Rosie Pro to Chevron for some gas and a wash, then zoom-zoom-zoomed to Target and then to the grocery store before coming home and...

No, not resting. Cleaning.

I figured I'd get everything done tonight and then devote Saturday and Sunday to indulging myself. I was almost finished, a little after 8:00, when someone knocked on my door.

Okay--I'm single and paranoid. I don't answer my door at night. The person knocked a second time. And a third. And a fourth. You get the picture. They stood out there for at least five minutes, knocking repeatedly. I didn't say anything, didn't answer.

Finally, they gave up. I wondered if it wasn't my next-door neighbor, because she has to know it is me who called the police last night. If she wants to discuss it, she can come by during daylight hours.

I was chatting with Mom on the phone when, *knock, knock, knock* again. I called the apartment's security people and then retreated into my dark bedroom, talking to Dad on the land line, and with my cell phone clutched in the other hand. The knocking continued. Whoever it was (I can't see anything out there at night through the peephole) knocked on my window. How creepy is that?

Fortunately, after the security guard stopped by, everything seems to have calmed down. I don't know who it was, but I'm glad to have my peace back. While talking to the security lady, I found out that it was possible to see in my kitchen window through a small crack in the blinds. They are now taped tightly shut.

I've got a cat on either side of me. Millie is relaxing, Harley is looking for something to do, which means any minute I'll stop typing, scoop up one orange furrball, and say, "Harley, stoppit." That's just how we roll around here.

So that's my week, in a nutshell. I'm starting to feel sleepy enough that I'll probably be off to bed soon. It's cold tonight, so I'll pile on the fuzzy blankets and snuggle with my warm cats.

OH--and yesterday, I agreed to babysit Bella and Duchess for a week in May. FOUR cats in my 750-square-foot apartment. Three litter boxes, unknown TONS of cat chow, fur flying, and no room for me on the bed. I'll probably have to sleep on the floor. I can't wait!

In the meantime, I've got one more concert (tomorrow night). Maybe I'll get a picture of myself in my Chorale get-up. It's stylin'.