My goal was to post something on this blog each day, even when I’m not able to do my formal writing assignments. Well, I failed to reach that goal yesterday (sorry, January 30, 2014.) Thursdays are hard because it’s my wife’s late night at work. She doesn’t get home until after 10:00, which means that I pick up the children after work, get Fiona going on her homework, make dinner, put them in the tub, and do bedtime. I was able to grade one class set of math tests (multiplying and dividing fractions, if you’re wondering) while Fee did her homework. Generally, these mom-less nights go off without a hitch, because the girls really are good when they know I require their cooperation for our collective sanity. Last night, Callie couldn’t fall asleep. She has nap-time at daycare, and sometimes she actually naps. Yesterday must have been one of those times, because she didn’t fall asleep until close to 9:30. I had to redirect her to her bed a couple of times. I could never get into a writing groove (not to mention I was exhausted, and my brain had precisely zero ideas.)
So, instead of writing anything, I continued to read Anne Ursu’s book, The Real Boy. I got to the very last chapter before my wife came home. I decided to engage my wife in conversation, so the last chapter will be waiting for me tonight after the kids go to bed. It’s so good, by the way. And I’m not just saying that because she follows me on Twitter (which she totally does, by the way.)
I thought that I might have some time to write after work today, since my wife was scheduled to get home at around the same time as me. I went to my daughter’s elementary school to pick her up at 3:30. Picking her up is a nightmare. The school closes off the parking lot, so you cannot park there. The front of the school is for attended pick up only. Likewise for the side of the school. The only place you can actually park is about a mile from the actual school, which would be okay if there were ever any places to actually park. Furthermore, the teachers hold the students until they actually see the caregiver who is picking them up, which I like, because Fiona is only 6 years old. So, as a parent, you have to park, and then walk to the back of the school to physically pick your child up. Given these circumstances, your options are:
- Drive around for 30 minutes looking for parking while they bring your child back into the school and make her wait in the office. In this scenario, the secretary calls you and informs you (most judgmentally, I might add) that your child is in the office and needs to be picked up.
- Park in the “attended parking only” section and hope for the best.
I’ve gone with choice 2 for the better part of a year-and-a-half, and it’s always worked out. Until today. When I got to my car, Johnny Law was writing out a warning ticket (at least it was a warning.) That should have been the end of it, but of course Johnny Law wants to proselytize to me.
Johnny Law: Is this your car?
Me: Yes. (Helps tiny 6-year old child into the car)
Johnny Law: This is for attended pick up only.
Me: There is nowhere else to park.
Johnny Law: That’s not my problem. (Jag. Why are so many of them such jags?)
Me: Well, I waited here in the car until 3:28, but I have to physically pick up my daughter because she is only 6-years old. The car was unattended for 7 minutes tops.
Johnny Law: Doesn’t matter. This is for attended pick up only. (No shit, Sherlock. You just said that.)
Me: Okay, then where is it okay to park?
Johnny Law: Not by the school. (Well, this makes a ton of sense. You have to physically pick your child up, but you can’t park by the school.)
Me: Okay, well thanks for just giving me a warning.
Johnny Law: Next time I’ll give you a ticket. (His version of, “You’re welcome?”)
Fortunately, I managed to evade the long arm of the law…this time. You know, as a teacher in a community that particularly hates to pay taxes, I’m always hearing about how the parents are paying my salary. How come nobody ever says that to the police officers? This guy was definitely keeping the community safe…from the parents who want to pick up their children from school.
After getting home I got to work on paying bills, which is always fun. In case you’re wondering, we ate out far too often in January. Gotta reign that in.
Then we decided to make a family trip to the library. When we got there, there was a sign that stated that non-residents would now have to pay to check out videos from the library. Our city government didn’t approve budget increases for the library, because they believe that public libraries are socialist institutions. So, the non-resident fee is just a minor issue. More importantly, the library has to lay off workers, close on Sundays, close earlier on Fridays, and postpone necessary physical improvements. It makes me sick. I live in a city that is bereft of industry, and lacks any real commercial tax contribution (in fact, the city loses money on a TIF that was issued for a business district.) Therefore, most of the funding burden is placed on homeowners through their property taxes. Do I like to pay taxes? Of course not. But I like my daughter’s school, and her teachers, and I use the public library all the time. I am willing to pay for these things. Of course, silly me, I live in a modest house that is not beyond my means. I suppose if I lived in one of myriad McMansions around town, then I’d have more of an issue with the tax burden. Because, as everyone knows, each child deserves her own bathroom.
But I digress. I’m beginning to see that weekdays are just far too busy for writing. I heard some good advice at my first residency: write between the cracks. Meaning, that if you have 15 minutes here or there, use them to write. In all sincerity, I didn’t have 15 minutes these past couple of days. There were no cracks to write between.
Weekends, on the other hand, are golden. I am able to accomplish quite a bit on the weekend. I know that the hours are precious, and I don’t screw around. I wonder if I’d be less disciplined if I had more time. Probably. We’ll see if that holds true when I sell my first book for millions of dollars and I quit my day job. Should be any day now.
