37.

9:07 a.m.: An impossibly tiny boy with a downy cloud of straight black hair walks into the office with great purpose and, holding up his fingers to show me, lisps, "I found this tiny of a bug, but I wouldn't really worry about it. It only had one leg, but it was dead, but I put it out the window." I said, "Good job, buddy." He nodded, and left.

Today was my second day of actual work as a substitute secretary for the school district. I've spent the last two days in the same school, and they have both been nine non-stop hours of work and pandemonium (pandelerium is a better word for it). I'm exhausted, and I haven't eaten properly in two days, and all my parts hurt, but I HAD FUN. That may seem really strange for two days that included a 911 call and the gushingest bloody nose I've ever seen in my entire life and one student injury report and no lunch or bathroom breaks, and I can't even tell you how many phone calls, but it's true. I missed this. This is a completely different animal from the job I had at New Trier, but it bears enough similarity that I felt at home even in a completely new environment. I don't want to do this all day every day anymore, but golly I'm good at it, and it can be so fun.

This was an elementary school, so the kids were much younger than I'm used to and they are hilarious and so sweet. One boy came into the office no less than five times in two days to report on stuff that was in the urinal in the boys' bathroom across the hall. "Um, there's a pencil in the urinal." "Ok, darlin', I'll tell the custodian." "Ok, but actually? I'm a boy."

I'm too tired to blog any further than this tonight, but I've had a pretty great two days. I'm feeling much less nervous about this job, and I'm looking forward to more stories. Maybe next week, after I've caught up on my sleep and bathroom breaks.