That's a Wrap

Unbelievably, yesterday was my first day of summer break. I truly thought the day would never come. COVID has sucked on so many levels and for so many people that I hate to complain about the "inconvenience" it has caused me. I don't work at a grocery store - those people are saints for putting up with all the rigamarole with which they had to contend, and I am not a nurse or a doctor; they, too, have had a rough year.

When COVID first became a thing, there was an outpouring of support for teachers as parents suddenly had to spend the entire day with their kiddos doing reading and math and history and science and everything else. Once school resumed in the late summer, suddenly, the world hated teachers. We were all lumped in with "ban the police" crowd and the "we won't work" slackers. I guarantee that while that does describe some teachers (and waitresses and store clerks and mechanics and bankers ...), it was not how the majority of us felt. We wanted go back to work in person.

Hours spent on our distance learning platform: 1,166

I've been a teacher for twenty-seven years. I have never worked longer days, including every weekend, than I did this year. Not only did the year feel longer than every other year, it actually was. Since the district didn't know how to handle distance learning, the kids started the school year eight days after we did. In order to meet state requirements (and earn the money that comes from ADA - Average Daily Attendance), the district stuck those missed eight days at the end of an already arduous school year. 

On Wednesday afternoon, most of my staff met at a local Tahoe Joe's for a happy hour celebration. I expected to feel the normal sense of freedom that final day brings, but in truth, it was a pretty low key event. We were all tired. Even though yesterday was my first day of vacation, I still had to get up at dawn  to feed all of the horses at the ranch - long story, not mine to tell. That afternoon, I finally took some time for myself. I got a much needed pedicure and stopped off at my favorite mom and pop burger joint. I plopped down on the sofa and watched a stupid movie and started to feel as though I might truly be done with this school year.

Yesterday's early morning view.

Summer break is when I feel like my "real" life truly begins. As usual, this summer is already starting off with me being busier than I have time for.

• ​Today, I'll ride Izzy early and then Speedy goes to the vet to check on his summer sore. I also have to stop by the feed store to get six bags of feed for the ranch owner, and then I have to be home in time to meet the appliance repairman; my dryer quit a week ago.
• Saturday or Sunday I'll give at least one lesson on Speedy, maybe two, and ride Izzy.
• Monday, and this one is HUGE, Izzy and I will be heading to STC Dressage for a lesson, but only I will be returning home. What? Right!? More on that to come.
• Wednesday, my husband and I will be heading to Tennessee for a week. (And for those nefarious types who might be reading, don't even think about breaking in as we have a house/dog sitter and a really good alarm system.)
• The Friday after we get back from the Volunteer State, I'll be heading south to SCEC for a warm up ride because Izzy and I will be showing that Saturday and Sunday.

From our last show at SCEC.

Just typing all of that makes me tired. The end of the school year always feels like the true year's end; December 31st is just practice. So for me, it truly does feel as though this year is over, and the new one has just begun.

I really hope the second half of 2021 is a lot more pleasant than the first half was.