Silver Lining

What a day. I tried to get going early (I had a faculty meeting at 7:50 sharp), but I didn't realize freezing rain had moved in. Once I hit a small town between where I teach and where I live, it turned to blinding snow - thick, wet flakes. Soon they froze to the windshield and my wipers just bounced over them, reducing visibility even further. But that only last a few miles, but by then the damage was done. I was stuck behind a school bus and ten other cars trudging to work.

I made it to school at 8. So I skipped the meeting and went straight to my room. Unfortunately, common prep happened to be today too. So half an hour was wasted there.

Then I planned on showing the film "Legends of the Fall" for American Lit. I even got the TV/DVD combo out of storage and was all ready. However, the DVD (maybe the world's cheapest) couldn't read the film. So I had to ask another teacher to burrow the new DVD player she had.

Nothing was hooked up and it took me, along with some of my students, to get it working correctly.

After that things settled down.

Until College Comp.

We just finished discussing why people read. I was arguing that reading was done mostly to tell stories. No sooner were those words out of my mouth when a teacher knocked on my door and stuck her head in with a dozen roses.

"Oh, great. Who are they for now?" I said disgruntled.

"They're for you," she said.

The class howled. Ugh.

"There's gotta be a story behind those," one student piped up.

True enough.

This fall I 'forgot' (not really, I just didn't make a big deal out of it - and I should have) our anniversary. I know - bonehead! Kristie had a wonderful letter and poem for me and I had jack squat for her. I know - bonehead!

So I began thinking (and that's always dangerous) yesterday morning that I had proposed to Kristie on Presidents' Day. I knew it coincided with a day like that (as well as her sister's birthday). I didn't want to miss this anniversary. So I called Kristie and hesitatingly wished her an early happy engagement anniversary.

"You've got the wrong girlfriend. I don't know what you're talking about," Kristie informed me. Idiot! It was Veterans' Day, not Presidents' Day!

So as soon as I saw those roses, I know who they were from and why. I didn't even read the card until after class.

I was right.

It read -

"Happy Non-Anniversary!!

Love - Kristie

What a fiancé! EH? Like I said in an earlier post - I'm blessed.

Now that was my silver lining to an otherwise crappy day.