9/8 Visiting

Last night my mother called and said, "I am feeling so much better and it's because of you making me do physical therapy." It reminded me of students who hate the assignments, fight you all the way, try to get out of doing things, but in the end are happy they learned something. So the gratifying feeling from bumping into someone years after you've taught them and finding out they loved your class is still here.

I straightened out the online version of the subbing system so that I will no longer get phone calls at 5:30 in the morning. I really have very mixed feelings about subbing. I would like to see the 7th graders I monitored last year in the cafeteria as sixth graders, but I don't particularly want to tangle with the administrators. I'd like to see the 9th graders and Shawna, but don't necessarily want to deal with the high school. At the moment it's a moot point, since there really isn't time. 

I've given myself a day off from PT duties next Friday. Gary will take over and do the routine. That's the day it's possible that Charlie will arrive in Pittsburgh, and it will just be nice to have a day without that obligation. I know that if I don't give myself an occasional break, things won't go well. I find myself gritting my teeth a couple of times a day, but all in all things are going well with my mother.

Monday, Nina arrives from Germany. I spent some time the other night checking on bus schedules for her. I'm not sure how she'll feel about the bike routes that are possible now. One of the two main bike trails into the city is closed on week days and requires a walk along railroad tracks to join. The other trail has a ridiculous detour, and takes some road riding to get there. Since her classes start at 8:30 a.m., she'd be riding during rush hour. I figure I can take her on a dry run and see what she thinks. 

Dinner tonight: stir-fried beef with broccoli.