This has been quite a morning. Three sick teachers and lots of phone calls. I have everyone covered with substitutes now, though, thankfully!
You know, when I resumed this sub coordinator job on top of my duties in the school library, I toyed with the possibility that I might be able to do both in perpetuity. It would certainly have given my income a healthy boost! But the schedule is seriously exhausting, and to be honest, I'm not sure I could maintain it in the long term. I never get to escape from school and relax, except on Friday nights and Saturdays.
It's fun to have a lot to juggle, for a change. I sometimes get kind of bored hanging around the library checking out the 50-zillionth computer charger of the day. (God forbid any high school student should ever want to check out an actual book, much less talk about books.) But the fun has a scary sort of pressurized edge.
I even toyed with quitting the library and going back to sub coordinating. There are some advantages -- more flexible free time, more opportunities for photography, I could be home with the dog, we could fire the dog walker. But the pay would be less, even once I subtract what we pay for dog care. Besides, as a full-timer in the library, I'm contributing to a pension fund and socking away a minuscule amount of savings. (I couldn't do that as a part-time sub coordinator.)
Still, this morning it was nice to sit at my dining room table, making sub calls, and watching tiny tits pecking around in the houseplants outside. I kind of miss this job. I miss my long days at home, my long photography walks, the canine companionship of Olga.
On a completely unrelated note, our avocado is going through some kind of crisis. The lower leaves have developed these unsightly brown, dead patches. I don't think it's related to repotting -- after all, I just did that less than two weeks ago. I think instead it's because we recently fertilized the plant, and apparently avocados are very sensitive to over-fertilizing. This morning I gave it a long, slow water in an attempt to dilute or flush some of the fertilizers in the soil (a trick I read online, so God knows if it really works). We'll see if that helps. Hopefully the problem isn't too much water!
(Top photo: Bolts on a building scaffold in Ladbroke Grove.)
Take off the dead leaves and all will probably be well. Owen cut ALL the leaves off of one of my avocados last year and it is fully leafed again.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Money is one thing. But you have to have a life, too.
Two jobs may well be one too many.
I hear you on making more money (and putting it away), but money won't buy each day that slips away. That's why Rick is retiring early instead of staying on the work treadmill. If it means we might have a little less cushion, then so be it.
ReplyDeletei wish i had words of wisdom for when it is right to retire, quit a job, or just do part time.
ReplyDeleteif i were at home all the time i would go crazy, even with book reading, projects, volunteer work...for me i miss the interaction of people on the job.
to each his/her own will.
woe to the plant..i haven't a clue but the water method sounds like a winner.
sounds like you could use a staycation.
ReplyDelete