Office Cake or Office Space?

When I first got this year's teaching schedule, I was thrilled to discover that I am not teaching a 1st period class. I thought it would be great for a few reasons, such as if I hit traffic on the Pulaski Skyway or needed to make photocopies, etc. I envisioned myself beginning my day calm, cool, and collected: stopping off at Starbucks for a grande nonfat Caramel Machiatto, spooning yogurt while blogging, making a second cup of coffee in my classroom Keurig, grading papers in the soft lamplight - hell, it was going to be great.

That was before I lost my classroom refrigerator.

Let me explain: last year, my friend Rachel was hired in our department (woo hoo!) and I became her mentor. She had a small dorm sized fridge that she wanted to put in her classroom but was worried that she would get in trouble for housing a major appliance. Because that is one fear I don't share (my classroom already illegally hosts a lamp and a space heater), I told her to put it in mine instead; tenure has its privileges.

That fridge was a godsend. For an entire school year, Strachan and I filled it with organic milk, organic hazelnut creamer, yogurts, sandwiches, etc. and opened it 10 times a day. We made coffee and tea at ease; all I had to do was whirl around in my desk chair, pop a pod in the Keurig, and 30 seconds later I was adding a cool splash of milk and cream! I NEVER left my classroom last year - ever. There was no need to; instead, I just sat at my desk, worked, and reached in my little (um, Rachel's little) fridge when I needed something.

Well, at the start of this school year, Rachel called to tell me that her grandmother was going into a nursing home and she needed the fridge for her grandmother's room. I thought about running out and snagging another one the first day but I figured I had plenty of time and would just use the office fridge until I got one of my own.

BIG MISTAKE.

Now instead of coming straight to my room at 7:25 and staying and working at my desk until my second period class begins at 8:12, I come to my classroom to drop off my stuff and head to the office to get my milk and cream.

Once I step foot in the office, 25 minutes is guaranteed to pass in the blink of an eye and 250 calories (minimum) is guaranteed to part my lips. There's always someone in there to talk to and it never fails that there is always something in there to eat - today I gossiped with Rachel, Kristyna, and Terry and I forked down at least 1000 calories with of cheesecake AND chocolate cake!!

Seriously - who am I these days? Somethings gotta give and I think it's going to be in the form of about $100 today at Target. I can't live like this. I'm going to end up fat and fired. I need a refrigerator.

So, what's La Pointe of It All? For this gal, isolation leads to productivity, so I'm going back in to my hole for the next 9 months. Sorry gang - see you in June!

Sleepless in Hoboken

Ugh, I should've known better.

What was I thinking, that I could travel back from Mallorca to Madrid to Newark over a 24 hour time span, not sleep on the plane, and then find myself fresh as a daisy?

After not getting to sit next to my husband on the way home from our one and only HONEYMOON?

After coming home and unpacking and doing laundry and getting my school stuff sorted?

After having severe anxiety and tinges of depression over starting back to work, having just spent the past two months being my own boss?

After eating absolute junk on the plane and then not eating anything upon arrival home due to lack of hunger from fatigue?

After getting all emotional and whiny and bitchy and then breaking into uncontrollable sobs while on the phone with one of my Bffs over something that neither one of us has any control over?

After not taking allergy medicine after having an allergic reaction to the kitty because I have been away from her for so long?

After not taking even a half of a Tylenol PM or any other sleeping aid or even drinking a glass of wine before bed to try and lull me to sleep?

Was I actually thinking I would get to sleep on my own and wake up fresh as a morning spring, ready to start a new year?

Or am I a masochist who was secretly looking forward to having a miserable combination of jet lag and insomnia on the eve of my first day back to work?

What's La Pointe of It All? Simple - this is going to be a long, long day.